Analysing international policy processes and Lithuania’s role in them

China Programme

China’s engagement with our region is not only about economic diversification but also about strengthening its political influence. Lithuania’s current criticism of China also reflects a general frustration with China’s cooperation and expansion of influence in many Central and Eastern European countries, while at the same time there has been a marked increase in China’s dialogue with some of these countries, notably Hungary, Greece and, to some extent, Poland. The issue of Taiwan is becoming topical. These and other related issues are the focus of the China Research Programme. Read the latest publications by our analysts or get in touch if you have specific questions.

Review Nov 16, 2022
The US-Taiwan-Lithuania Triangle: Partners with a Common Vision for Security

In November 2021, Lithuania’s government agreed to establish a Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius; in August 2022, Nancy Pelosi, the US Speaker of the House, made a bold visit to Taiwan despite all the threatening rhetoric from the People’s Republic of China.

Marshall Reid Tomas Janeliūnas Raigirdas Boruta
Review Oct 24, 2022
China and Southeast Asia 2022/3

The report on human rights in Xinjiang, released at the last minute by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, was an unpleasant blow to China’s leadership, which had considered her last visit a success.

Raigirdas Boruta
Review Jul 25, 2022
China and South-East Asia 2022/02

While the COVID outbreak in Shanghai and Beijing is considered contained, considerable tensions and uncertainty remain in society due to the fact that severe restrictions can be reapplied at any time.

Raigirdas Boruta
Review Jun 15, 2022
China review 2022-3

10 years ago, on 26 April 2012, the first summit between China and 16 CEE (Central and Eastern European) countries took place in Warsaw, launching the “16 + 1” format for China’s cooperation with the region

Raigirdas Boruta
Review May 04, 2022
China review 2022-2

The strict COVID management policy initiated by Xi Jinping in 2020 has become one of the world’s most impressive success stories: Not only has China successfully contained the outbreak in Wuhan, it has also managed to achieve positive annual economic growth.

Raigirdas Boruta
Review Apr 28, 2022
China and South-East Asia 2022-01

The uncertainty of Beijing’s position over the Russia-Ukraine war and the effort to present itself as a neutral observer is becoming an increasing challenge.

Raigirdas Boruta
Review Nov 30, 2020
Sino-Lithuanian Relations in 2020: Shedding the Masks?

As of the end of 2020, for obvious and rather gloomy reasons the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has actually increased its topical relevance in the world, as well as in Lithuania, in comparison with the previous year which itself already seems to be a distant memory.

Konstantinas Andrijauskas
More publications

About the China Programme

Established in early 2019, the EESC’s China Studies Programme analyses political, economic and socio-cultural processes related to China and its foreign policy. Publications and events aim to deepen understanding of China’s strategic and geopolitical objectives, their impact on Europe and transatlantic relations, as well as on Lithuania’s strategic objectives. The research programme is coordinated by analysts and associate experts from the Eastern Europe Studies Centre.

China Programme Experts

Raigirdas Boruta

Associate Expert of RESC China Research Program, PhD student at VU Institute of International Relations and Political Science. Raigirdas holds a bachelor’s degree in Asian and Pacific Studies (Chinese Studies) from Lancashire Central University (UK). After studying, he went to China, where he spent five years studying and working. Raigirdas completed a year-long intensive Chinese language and culture course at the Sichuan University (Confucius Institute Scholarship). In 2020, he graduated from Sichuan University (China) with a Master’s degree in International Relations in Chinese. Raigirdas interests: sinology, Chinese foreign and domestic policy, history of the PRC, relations and conflicts between East Asian countries.

Konstantinas Andrijauskas

Associate Professor of Asian Studies and International Politics at Vilnius University (Lithuania); former Senior Visiting Scholar at China’s Fudan (Shanghai, 2011) and Zhejiang (Hangzhou, 2013) Universities, as well as at Columbia University (New York, USA, 2017, Fulbright Scholar Program); author of two books on contemporary Sino-Russian-Indian relations (2016) and on the History of Pre-modern Non-European Civilizations (2018).