Political and International Approaches

Political and International Approaches

16+1 Initiative: Cooperation strategy between China and Central and Eastern European countries

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
mohsen keshvarian azad 1
Mobarakeh sedaghati 2
1 PhD of International Relations,Faculty of Law & Political Sciences, Kharazmi University
2 Department of International Relations, Faculty of Law & Political Sciences, Kharazmi University
10.48308/piaj.2023.226020.1206
Abstract
China's foreign policy continues its multilateral economic plans in the international arena such as; "Belt and Road Initiative", "Made in China 2025", " Health Silk Road", "Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank" and..., have considered cooperation with European countries. In the last decade, Beijing has established multilateral mechanisms and initiatives at the regional, transregional and bilateral (pivot countries) levels and in the form of these multilateral initiatives, it includes economic, political, and cultural dimensions with different regions, especially Europe. In this framework, the "16+1 Initiative" was defined in 2012 as a complement to the " Belt and Road " by China and Central and Eastern European countries to develop multilateral cooperation. The purpose of this article is to explain the impact of this multilateral initiative on the cooperation between China and the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, and the question of how the multilateral initiative 1+16 is the context of the interwoven cooperation between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CE E) has prepared? The hypothesis is that the 16+1 multilateral mechanism has created a complex network of cooperation between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which has led to positive achievements in specific subject areas. The findings show that China has planned and implemented projects and plans in the form of a win-win game with the cooperation of various groups of the above countries (Balkans, Visegrad, Axis countries), which has resulted in the reaction of other Chinese competitors.
Keywords
China
16+1
Multilateralism
Europe
Cooperation

  • منابع

    • Andrijauskas, K., Bachulska, A. Bērziņa-Čerenkova, U. A., Karásková, I., Karindi, L., & Szunomár, Á, (2020), Empty shell no more: China’s growing footprint in Central and Eastern Europe, Association for International Affairs (AMO), Policy paper.
    • Associated press (2021), »Xi: china opens to vaccine cooperation with eastern Europe«, Abc News, https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/xi-china-open-vaccine-cooperation-eastern-europe-75773568.
    • Brînză, Andreea (2019), »The “17+ 1” Mechanism: Caught Between China and the United States«, China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies, 5(02), 213-231.
    • Brînză, Andreea (2021), »How China’s 17+1 Became a Zombie Mechanism« The Diplomat, https://thediplomat.com/2021/02/how-chinas-171-became-a-zombie-mechanism/.
    • Bermingham, Finbarr (2022), »Chinese ambassador admits Russian invasion of Ukraine has hurt relations with EU«,South china morning post, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3204398/chinese-ambassador-admits-russian-invasion-ukraine-has-hurt-relations-eu.
    • Callaghan, Mike, and Paul Hubbard (2016), »The Asian infrastructure investment bank: Multilateralism on the silk road«, China Economic Journal, 9.2: 116-139.
    • Ceec-china-logistic.org (2020), »Cooperation informations plan form! Logistics CEEC –china cooperation secretariat 17+1«, Ceec-china-logistic.org/en/about-us/info-chinasecretationlogistics.
    • Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries, (2022), Ceec-china-logistic.org, http://www.china-ceec.org/eng/ldrhw_1/.
    • Caporaso, J. A. (1992), International relations theory and multilateralism: the search for foundations. International organization, 46(3), 599-632.‏
    • Drahokoupil, Jan & et al, (2017), »Chinese investment in Romania and Bulgaria«, Chinese investment in Europe: corporate strategies and labour relations: 141.
    • Drezner, Daniel W, (2008), »Lost in Translation: The Transatlantic Divide over Diplomacy«, in: Kopstein, Jeffrey/Steinmo, Sven (Eds), Growing Apart: 192-210.
    • European Parliament (2018), »China, the 16+1 format and the EU, Think Tank European Parliament« https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2018)625173.
    • Global times (2020), »China-eu investment treaty breakthrough win-win for global cooperation«, Global Times, https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1210391.shtml.
    • Gramer , Robbie (2017), »All abroad china,s new silk road express«, Foreign Policy https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/01/04//all-abroad-china-new-silk-road-express-yiwo-to-london-train-geopolitics-one-belt-one-road.
    • Grieger,Gisela (2016), »One belt one road (OBOR): china's regional integration initiative«, European parliament,https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2016)586608.
    • Jakóbowski, Jakub (2018), »Chinese-led regional multilateralism in Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America: 16+ 1, FOCAC, and CCF«, Journal of Contemporary China, 27.113: 659-673.
    • Jing, Long (2020), »Post-Pandemic Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern Europe«, China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies, 6.02 (2020): 165-180.
    • Keohane, Robert O, (1990), »Multilateralism: an agenda for research«, International journal, 45.4 (1990): 731-764.
    • Liu, Kerry (2018), »Chinese manufacturing in the shadow of the China–US trade war«, Economic Affairs, 38.3 (2018): 307-324.
    • Le Corre, Philippe (2022), » The Ukraine War's Impact on Sino-European Relations«, Harvard Kenndy School, https://ash.harvard.edu/ukraine-wars-impact-sino-european-relations.
    • Kowalski, Bartosz )2016(, »China’s foreign policy towards Central and Eastern Europe: The ‘16 + 1’ format in the South–South cooperation perspective«, Cambridge Journal of Eurasian Studies 1: 1–16.
    • Kratz Agatha & dragan pavlicevic & justana szczudlik, (2016), »China's investment in influence: the future of 16+1 cooperation«, European council on foreign relations, https://ecfr.eu/publication/chinas_investment_in_influence_the_future_of_161_cooperation7204/.
    • Marinas, R, (2019), »Romania's critical networks do not use Huawei equipment: STS«, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-huawei-europe-romania-idUSKCN1QO1L2.
    • Matura, Tamás, (2021), »Chinese Investment in Central and Eastern Europe: A Reality Check«, Central and Eastern European Center for Asian Studies.
    • Melling, chen, (2019), »Poland looking to blister trade with china under BRI«, Chinadaily, https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201905/28/WS5cec97dca3104842260be305.html.
    • Ministry of Commerce of the PRC, (2020), »2019 Statistical Bulletin of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment«, https://www.purpleculture.net/statistical-bulletin-of-chinas-outward-foreign-direct-investment-2019-p-31287/.
    • Ping Huang & liu zoukui (2017), »16+1 cooperation and Chinese investments in CEEC«, See detailed statistics on Ministry of Commence Europe Division, http://ozs.mofcom.gov.cn/article/.zojmgx/date/201702/20170202520524.shtml.
    • Ruggie, John Gerard (2002), Constructing the World Polity: essays on international institutionalization, London: Routledge.
    • Sabi selo, Šabić (2017), »Croatian International Relations Review – CIRR 79«, IRMO, https://irmo.hr/publications/objavljen-croatian-international-relations-review-79/.
    • Siyang , chen (2021), »China-CEEC cooperation has opend new chapter«, Chinadaily, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202112/27/WS61c8fcf1a310cdd39bc7d869.html
    • Song, Lilei, and Dragan Pavlićević (2019), »China’s multilayered multilateralism: a case study of China and Central and Eastern Europe cooperation framework«, Chinese Political Science Review, 4.3: 277-302.
    • Standish , Reid (2021), »Chinese Summit Gets Chilly Reception From Central, Eastern European Countries«, Radio free Europe. https://www.rferl.org/a/chinese-summit-gets-chilly-reception-from-central-eastern-european-countries/31094507.html
    • Wang ,weidong & simona picciau (2017), »How to strengthen eu-china cooperation based on belt and road«, www.scielo.org, https://www.redalyc.org/journal/927/92754537002/.
    • Yiwei, Wang (2020), »China and Europe: BRI and the 17+1 Initiative«, Valdai Discussion Clup,https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/china-and-europe-bri-and-the-17-1-initiative/.
    • Zachova , Aneta (2021), »Czechia orders Chinese vaccine Sinopharm«, Euroactive, https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/czechia-orders-chinese-vaccine-sinopharm/.
    • Zuokui, Liu (2020), »Cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European Countries in Times of Major Changes«, China Int'l Stud. 85 (2020): 24.