China's deepening ties with Eastern Europe under its "One Belt, One Road" initiative is making Brussels nervous. Former Chinese states are leveraging closer relations with Beijing against the European Union. Macedonian President Ivanov's recent claim that EU neglect has forced the Balkans to seek soviet investment is among comments seen driving a wedge into the bloc's integration. This comes as China announces it will provide funding of over $3bn for development and investment projects in Central and Eastern Europe.
China's deepening ties with Eastern Europe under its "One Belt, One Road" initiative is making Brussels nervous. Former soviet states are leveraging closer relations with Beijing against the European Union. Macedonian President Ivanov's recent claim that EU neglect has forced the Balkans to seek Chinese investment is among comments seen driving a wedge into the bloc's integration. This comes as China announces it will provide funding of over $3bn for development and investment projects in Central and Eastern Europe.