Taken in isolation, the visit of the Slovakian delegation to Taiwan would perhaps be little more than a minor annoyance for Beijing. However, when considered in the context of recent developments in Central and Eastern Europe, the visit takes on a far greater strategic importance, both for China and Taiwan.
For nearly a decade, the CEE region has been heavily influenced by the PRC, which established the Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (also known as the 17/16+1) initiative in 2012. The grouping, which includes the majority of the CEE countries (as well as many Balkan and Baltic states), was initially marketed as a regional forum for multilateral
Image Unsplash by NatanaelGinting
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