Rudolf Fürst contributed to the new ETNC Report on Political values in Europe-China relations
The Institute of International Relations is proud to contribute to the new ETNC Report 2018: Political values in Europe-China relations. See the chapter on Czech-Chinese relations written by Rudolf Fürst, a Head of the Centre for EU-Asia relations, there, pp.27-30.
The Czech Republic’s China policy balances its economic and political priorities. The Czech values-oriented policy was introduced in the 1990s, mainly by the former dissidents who significantly shaped the country’s democratic transition. Democracy and human rights support is still part of the official Czech policy. However, specific implementation and strategies are a matter of continual dispute between different political groups. The public perception of China is becoming polarised and ideologized in reaction to China’s increasing economic relevance, as well as the role of the Czech business lobbies that push for a more pragmatic agenda.