Zveme všechny kolegyně, kolegy, studentky a studenty se zájmem o současnou evropskou politiku vůči Číně na besedu, kterou pořádá Německé velvyslanectví v Praze, 21. 6. 2023 od 15 do 17 hodin. Beseda je otevřená veřejnosti, ale vzhledem k omezené kapacitě sálu je třeba se předem registrovat na: pol-S1@prag.diplo.de

Doprovodný text níže:

Following the pandemic and the Russian aggression on Ukraine, there is a rising awareness of
the risk of global dependencies. China plays a central role in strategically important areas like
pharmaceuticals, semi-conductors or rare earths. De-risking or even de-coupling have become
popular slogans for how to increase Europe’s autonomy. China itself has adopted the so-called
dual circulation approach, reducing dependencies on foreign goods and know-how. What
does this mean for bilateral trade given the fact that more than 30% of the German car
industry’s exports go to China? To what extend does this affect the Czech economy through
its strong interlinkage with German companies?

On a European level, the EU is reviewing its approach to China. A strategic discussion has
begun about the right balance between partnership, competition and systemic rivalry. This
comprises topics such as human rights, where the EU and China differ considerably, but also
global challenges like climate change and decarbonisation, where co-operation with China is
necessary. Security-wise, NATO mentioned China in its Strategic Concept as „a challenge to
the Alliance’s interests, security and values“ for the first time last year. Germany and the Czech
Republic are working on new strategies toward China and in both countries, the public debate
on how to deal with China is livelier than ever.
We invite you to discuss the state of play with:

Jiří Kozák
Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
Martin Thümmel
Director for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific at the German Federal Foreign Office
Ivana Karásková
Research Fellow at the Association for International Affairs, Prague
Bernhard Bartsch
Mercator Institute for China Studies, Berlin
Olga Lomová
Professor at the Charles University, Department of Sinology, Prague

The discussion will take place in English and will be followed by a glass of wine.