Central and Eastern European Countries Are Dissatisfied With China

SCMP: Europe’s ‘17+1’ countries dissatisfied with China relations, report says, as summit is postponed

* Trade deficit with China has grown and the 17 Central and Eastern European nations should demand more from Beijing, European scholars write
* Coronavirus has forced the delay of China’s summit with the bloc, multiple sources confirm

Central and Eastern European countries have become increasingly dissatisfied with the economic results of their “17+1” initiative
with China, according to a report released on Tuesday.

The report by the China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe – a group of scholars associated with Prague think tank the Association for International Affairs – found that all 17 European countries in the initiative had seen their trade deficit with China increase since the group was established in 2012.

It came as it was confirmed that this month’s planned 17+1 summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders from the European nations has been postponed because of the coronavirus.

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WNU Editor: These European countries are finding out what many others have found out when it comes to dealing with China on trade. China makes promises and commitments in public, but later these promises and commitments are ignored. China's lack of transparency on the outbreak of the Covid-19 coronavirus at the beginning of this year has also seriously damaged ties with these European countries.