Author: Michael Mazza, Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

The Chinese pressure campaign against Taiwan is likely to persist. In the coming years, that campaign may include formal or informal import bans on Taiwanese goods; military provocations; information warfare operations aimed at destabilizing Taiwanese society; and the poaching of diplomatic allies.

For a long time, “One China” policy which recognizes the government of People’s Republic of China as the only legal government of China has been the backbone of the EU-Taiwan relations. It implicates that the cooperation between both partners is limited to non-political fields and excludes any diplomatic elements. On the surface, there is not much room for the EU to manoeuvre.

The uncomfortable truth is that business elites, European bureaucrats, and many European politicians are out of touch with the public’s sentiment on Hong Kong. Few European leaders pretend to even care about basic human rights in Hong Kong, and it will be difficult to get unanimity on this issue across Europe due to Beijing’s economic statecraft. Both European Council President Charles Michel and Borrell have reaffirmed the EU’s values, and Michel insisted on the bloc’s attachment to “the preservation of Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy” but this is not enough.

Source: Hertie School

The conceptual and more concrete dimensions of the Commission’s geopolitical ambition point towards three key challenges.

Objectifs d’indépendance, de reconstruction, de réconciliation et de nouvelles méthodes à mettre en œuvre.

Priorités :

The current French political system of the Fifth Republic is a hybrid presidential/parliamentary system with a President who is head of state, sharing power with a Prime Minister who is the head of government.

President Xi Jinping is expected  to follow a more assertive foreign policy in the next few years and expand China’s influence in the context of global governance, and within its region.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia. Headquartered in Beijing, China its operations began in January 2016 and have now grown to 102 approved members worldwide. By investing in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asia and beyond, AIIB aims to better connect people, services and markets that over time will impact the lives of billions and build a better future.

Regional Members

Source: Dr. Jeremy W. Lamoreaux (Brigham Young University- Idaho)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the  position of the AALEP.

Of the various motivations driving Russia’s global activities and strategy, three of them are particularly important for understanding Russia’s general strategic aims: the desire shared by the Russian elite for Russia to be recognized as a great power, the desire to protect Russian identity and a broader Slavic identity, and the desire to see the US global power limited.

Source: Politico