China's new interest towards CEE – in the light of a railway construction in Hungary

Abstract

The CEE countries always played an important role in the Chinese foreign policy towards the European Union: until the global financial crisis Beijing considered them as gates towards the Community. The crisis hit Europe as well and Western European countries were happy to open up their markets and cooperate with the Asian power. Recently there is a new momentum for the CEE countries: with its new global project, China is interested in infrastructure projects and in order to receive tender sin the EU, they need references as well, according to the very strict European rules. CEE countries are ready to offer this possibility. In this paper we are going to look at this new interest through Hungar, and with the help of a Hungarian case study we are going to learn about this projects and what they might mean for the CEE countries. Simply through their economic relevance Chinese can persuade countries to join their initiatives – who are willing to join them. In the case of the CEE, the Chinese development model can be so much attractive (deals without democratic-institutional conditions), it can fade the benefits of the EU itself.