How China's 'Gateway to Europe' Started Shrinking
The Czech Republic, which once courted Beijing in hopes of attracting investment, has grown bitter towards China, like many other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, partly on the war in Ukraine.
Eight years ago, the Czech President, visiting Beijing, proposed his country as a "gateway entry point from China to Europe. But the on-ramp to an expected flood of Chinese investment has shrunk to a patch of muddy land on the edge of a small Czech village.
The land was purchased in 2018 by a Chinese property company with ambitious plans for a sprawling spa resort and housing development. However, the start of construction has been so slow that local farmers are now using the Chinese property to grow corn.
Instead of a storefront for a bargain Chinese money, the project, in the Czech region of South Moravia, has become a symbol of the pitfalls of a Chinese overseas business model that depends on the strong support of foreign government leaders and local officials.
>Without this support - easier in European countries with authoritarian and pro-Beijing rulers, such as Hungary and Serbia, than in more vibrant democracies, such as the Czech Republic - Chinese companies often struggle, blocked by bureaucratic obstacles, pressure from environmental activists and hostile organizations. media coverage.
"We came here for business, not charity," said Edward Xu, stalled spa project manager for RiseSun, the Chinese company behind the company. He said development had been held back by bureaucracy and a souring of Czech attitudes toward China, as previously supportive officials lost their posts and the war in Ukraine turned public opinion against his country. because of his support for Russia.
"Everything changed because of the war," Xu said. "We just hope the war will be over as soon as possible."
In a recent interview in Prague, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said China's stance on Ukraine has forced a rethink of political and economic relations. At the same time, he blamed Beijing for not keeping its investment promises.
"Clearly, Chinese investors have not kept their promises," he said.
Philippe Le Corre, a researcher at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said democratic turnover and generational change in countries that China had previously considered friendly had disrupted the once-reliable support of former communist Europe. the eastern fringe.
"China, in my opinion, has lost Eastern Europe," Le Corre said, adding that the war in Ukraine had accelerated a decoupling of interests between Beijing and many Central and Eastern European countries.
"The longer the war in Ukraine lasts, the more friends they lose", he noted.
When RiseSun drew up its investment plans for South Moravia seven years ago, the region was governed by Michal Hasek, a china vent iron booster. He was also a close political ally of Milos Zeman, the president who visited Beijing in 2015 and declared Chinese leader Xi Jinping his "best friend". When Mr. Xi
The Czech Republic, which once courted Beijing in hopes of attracting investment, has grown bitter towards China, like many other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, partly on the war in Ukraine.
Eight years ago, the Czech President, visiting Beijing, proposed his country as a "gateway entry point from China to Europe. But the on-ramp to an expected flood of Chinese investment has shrunk to a patch of muddy land on the edge of a small Czech village.
The land was purchased in 2018 by a Chinese property company with ambitious plans for a sprawling spa resort and housing development. However, the start of construction has been so slow that local farmers are now using the Chinese property to grow corn.
Instead of a storefront for a bargain Chinese money, the project, in the Czech region of South Moravia, has become a symbol of the pitfalls of a Chinese overseas business model that depends on the strong support of foreign government leaders and local officials.
>Without this support - easier in European countries with authoritarian and pro-Beijing rulers, such as Hungary and Serbia, than in more vibrant democracies, such as the Czech Republic - Chinese companies often struggle, blocked by bureaucratic obstacles, pressure from environmental activists and hostile organizations. media coverage.
"We came here for business, not charity," said Edward Xu, stalled spa project manager for RiseSun, the Chinese company behind the company. He said development had been held back by bureaucracy and a souring of Czech attitudes toward China, as previously supportive officials lost their posts and the war in Ukraine turned public opinion against his country. because of his support for Russia.
"Everything changed because of the war," Xu said. "We just hope the war will be over as soon as possible."
In a recent interview in Prague, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said China's stance on Ukraine has forced a rethink of political and economic relations. At the same time, he blamed Beijing for not keeping its investment promises.
"Clearly, Chinese investors have not kept their promises," he said.
Philippe Le Corre, a researcher at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said democratic turnover and generational change in countries that China had previously considered friendly had disrupted the once-reliable support of former communist Europe. the eastern fringe.
"China, in my opinion, has lost Eastern Europe," Le Corre said, adding that the war in Ukraine had accelerated a decoupling of interests between Beijing and many Central and Eastern European countries.
"The longer the war in Ukraine lasts, the more friends they lose", he noted.
When RiseSun drew up its investment plans for South Moravia seven years ago, the region was governed by Michal Hasek, a china vent iron booster. He was also a close political ally of Milos Zeman, the president who visited Beijing in 2015 and declared Chinese leader Xi Jinping his "best friend". When Mr. Xi
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