As global trade faces turbulence, China and the EU are navigating a high-stakes chess game 🏁—balancing economic collaboration with rising protectionism. Poland, China’s top Central and Eastern European trade partner for 19 years, offers a case study in resilience. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, their joint infrastructure and tech projects thrived for nearly a decade, but new EU pressures on EVs and green tech are reshaping the rules.
Poland’s Role: A Bridge or a Battleground?
Grzegorz Kolodko, Poland’s former deputy prime minister and economics professor, highlights ‘strategic patience’ in Dialogue’s exclusive interview. “Cooperation isn’t optional—it’s survival,” he says, pointing to supply chain reconfigurations and Europe’s green transition. But as security concerns overtake economic priorities globally, even stable partnerships face stress tests.
Security vs. Economics: The New World Order?
Will the Chinese economy adapt to EU tariffs and ‘de-risking’? Kolodko argues innovation and domestic demand could offset external pressures. Yet, with nations prioritizing cybersecurity and AI dominance 🤖, the era of pure profit-driven policymaking may be over. “Trust is the new currency,” he notes—a scarce resource in today’s fragmented landscape.
