Central European Institute of Asian Studies

02/06/2026

How helped put on Europe’s agenda 🇨🇿🇹🇼

As the EU advances its de-risking strategy, Czechia offers an important example of how a small state can shape wider European debates. 🌍

Through parliamentary diplomacy, its experience engaging both China and Taiwan, and its warnings about the risks of economic dependence on Beijing, Czechia has helped make Taiwan more visible within the EU’s evolving discussions on economic security, resilience, and democratic values. 🗳️⚖️

In the latest article of our Taiwan series, we examine how Czech parliamentary diplomacy has helped make Taiwan more legible in Europe and what this reveals about the changing dynamics of EU-Taiwan relations.

As the EU advances its de-risking strategy, Czechia illustrates how Taiwan's longstanding significance in technology and democratic values has become increasingly relevant within Europe's shifting security and resilience discourse.

02/06/2026

How should address the lives of people living within its borders? 🇹🇼

At the , Dolma Tsering from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University discussed the human impact of legal exclusion and the challenges Taiwan faces in building a more inclusive democracy for people without citizenship or legal recognition. 🎥

🔗 Want to learn more? Read the full conference report at ceias.eu

01/06/2026

SWISS UNIVERSITIES RECALIBRATE TIES WITH CHINA 🇨🇭

📊🔎 Insights from the China–Europe Academic Engagement Tracker show that while academic cooperation between Swiss and Chinese universities remains extensive and institutionalized, universities in have increasingly introduced risk-mitigation measures since 2018, particularly in fields involving dual-use technologies and sensitive research areas.

KEY INSIGHTS:

🔗 102 academic links identified between Switzerland and China
🚨 59.8% involve People’s Liberation Army-linked universities
⚠️ 33% involve partners with elevated security classifications
🎓 Cooperation is dominated by student exchanges, formal agreements, and joint research projects

👉 Read the full country report here: https://ceias.eu/switzerland-from-momentum-to-moderation-swiss-universities-recalibrate-ties-with-china/

✍️ By Alfred Gerstl, Lena Heyer and Daria Kozlova

🔗 Explore the tracker here: https://academytracker.ceias.eu/map/eu/Switzerland

29/05/2026

Hungary’s political shift and the future of China policy in V4 🇭🇺🇨🇳

📅 This week in Budapest, CEIAS joined two timely discussions on the future of Central Europe’s approach to and amid a potentially shifting political landscape in Hungary.

At the Think Visegrad End-Term Conference, CEIAS Executive Director Matej Šimalčík and Adam Kalivoda explored whether China policies across the V4 could converge again following a change of government in Hungary and what this could mean for regional coordination on economic security, diplomacy, and relations with Beijing.

At the Central European University, Matej also presented insights from our latest research on Europe–Taiwan relations. The discussion with Bernadett Szél, PhD, Agnes Szunomar, and Tamas Matura, Ph.D., dr. jur. focused on how Taiwan could adapt to changing political dynamics in foreign policy and the wider region.

👉 Explore the full report here: https://ceias.eu/partners-in-need-partners-indeed-europe-taiwan-relations/

28/05/2026

Can the EU de-risk without pushing away? 🇪🇺🌏

At the , Ivo Schutte from unpacked how Europe can strengthen economic security while still being seen as an open and reliable partner by ASEAN. 🎥

🔗 Want to learn more? Read the full conference report at ceias.eu

27/05/2026

✈️ tours : Europe’s growing role in Southeast Asia

After conversations across Vietnam 🇻🇳, Malaysia 🇲🇾, and Singapore 🇸🇬, one message came up repeatedly: Europe is welcome but the region expects stronger, long-term engagement.

Over the past weeks, CEIAS engaged with universities 🎓, diplomats 🤝, think tanks, and technology experts 💡 across the region.

📍 During the final stop in , CEIAS President Alfred Gerstl delivered lectures on Europe’s engagement with Southeast Asia at National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University Singapore, two of Asia’s leading universities. The programme also included exchanges by Matej Šimalčík and Filip Šebok with experts at RSIS | S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS).

👀 What stood out throughout the trip was that Southeast Asia increasingly sees Europe not only as an economic actor, but also as a strategic partner, with growing interest in deeper cooperation on semiconductors, talent, research security, and civil society.

For Central Europe, this matters more than many still realize.

Whether at Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, the Czech Embassy in Singapore, the Slovak Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, or Malaysia’s semiconductor hub in Penang, local experts also repeatedly acknowledged the growing role of Central European governments and companies in the region, creating significant potential for future cooperation. 🙌

The trip formed part of the research project on Europe–Southeast Asia relations and was supported by Výskumná a inovačná autorita (VAIA) and Plán obnovy.

26/05/2026

Can democracies still claim inclusivity while leaving some communities legally invisible? 🇹🇼

🚨 In a new article for The Diplomat, Kristina Kironska and Dolma Tsering examine Taiwan’s overlooked challenge of statelessness and legal exclusion — highlighting how gaps in legal recognition continue to affect vulnerable individuals despite ’s strong democratic reputation.

Read the full article 👇

Taiwan’s stateless and undocumented population, numbering in the tens of thousands, has no access to basic rights, including healthcare, legal residency, and in some cases, education.

25/05/2026

Has the lost the global battle for hearts and minds? 🇺🇸

🚨 A new global poll across 85 countries suggests America’s image continues to decline, — and even — now viewed more favorably worldwide than the US.

👉 As Richard Turcsanyi writes for The Diplomat, this is more than a perception problem. It reflects a broader change in how global influence, credibility, and leadership are viewed worldwide.

🔗 Read the full analysis here:

Three years ago, only a fraction of the global public held more favorable opinions of China than of the U.S. Today, China and even Russia have a better global image.

21/05/2026

Can the keep up with the growing challenge of ? 🇪🇺🛡️

At the , Etienne Soula shared his perspective on Europe’s response to today’s information challenges. 🎥

🔗 Want to learn more? Read the full conference report at ceias.eu

18/05/2026

🇺🇸🇨🇳 Donald Trump returns from Beijing: What it means for US-China relations, EU and Taiwan?

✈️ Donald Trump’s visit to has drawn global attention as Washington and Beijing navigate an increasingly tense relationship shaped by tariffs, technology export controls, and strategic rivalry.

We asked our Fellows to share their insights on the importance of this meeting, including its meaning and potential implications for the future development of not just US-China but also transatlantic and EU-China relations, with a particular focus on economic, technological, cross-Strait, and political aspects.

➡️ Read the full article here: https://ceias.eu/ceias-considers-what-are-the-outcomes-and-potential-implications-of-the-trump-xi-summit/