According to Eurostat, China was the largest trading partner of the EU in 2022, with the highest value of exports. While in 2002, imports from China accounted for 7.8% of the EU’s total imports, by 2022, it accounted for 20.9% of the EU’s imports. The mutual dependence between European member states and the Asian country is growing, and Western policymakers are trying to address this through risk reduction strategies. The Belt and Road Initiative, which was examined by the CEPER, celebrated its 10th anniversary.
CEPER conducted a survey of public opinion in 12 Central European countries to better understand how Central Europeans perceive their country’s relationship with China. A thousand respondents from each of the twelve European countries were asked whether they support strengthening or weakening economic ties between their country and China, or prefer to maintain economic ties at the current level.
CEPER found that there is a difference in opinion between the north and the south when it comes to China. There are six Central and Eastern European countries (mostly southern) where a relative majority of the public prefers to strengthen economic ties with China, while in three other regional (mostly northern) countries, a relative majority supports maintaining economic ties at the current level.
Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav countries belong to the first group. 50% of Montenegrins, 48% of Serbs, and 49% of Slovenians expressed a desire to strengthen economic ties with China. Similarly, in Croatia (38%), North Macedonia (33%), and Bulgaria (42%), the majority of respondents supported stronger economic ties. 34% of respondents from North Macedonia, a candidate country for EU membership and a NATO member state, were unable or unwilling to answer this question.
Differences in opinion on European-Chinese economic ties also exist. Countries with a more cautious attitude towards China have stronger ties with the United States. In Romania, 42% of the population, in Slovakia 47%, and in the Czech Republic 49% would not change the current level of economic ties with China. This means that they would neither deepen nor weaken trade relations with China. Among them, Romanian society is the most critical: 35% of Romanians wish to weaken economic ties with Beijing, which is 11 percentage points more than in other countries in the region.
There is also a third, somewhat undecided group of Central European countries. In these countries, there is no significant gap between those who prefer stronger economic ties and those who advocate maintaining unchanged ties. In Austria, the difference is only 8 percentage points, in Poland 7, and in Hungary 1. Neither
In which country did the highest percentage of respondents believe that China’s influence in their country was growing
Whether they are neutral. The survey found that 40% of respondents across all 12 countries support strengthening economic ties with China, while 30% support weakening ties, and 30% remain neutral.
Breaking down the results by country, the survey found that Slovakia had the highest percentage (51%) of respondents supporting stronger economic ties with China, followed by Hungary (45%) and Poland (42%). On the other hand, the Czech Republic had the highest percentage (37%) of respondents supporting weaker ties, followed by Slovenia (34%) and Croatia (31%).
The survey also asked respondents about their perception of China’s influence in their country. The majority of respondents in all 12 countries (ranging from 57% to 74%) believed that China’s influence in their country was growing. This perception was particularly strong in Slovenia, where 74% of respondents believed that China’s influence was increasing.
In terms of specific areas of cooperation, respondents were asked about their support for Chinese investments in their country’s infrastructure, technology, and energy sectors. The survey found that support for Chinese investments was highest in the technology sector, with an average of 45% of respondents across all 12 countries expressing support. Support for Chinese investments in infrastructure and energy sectors averaged at 41% and 39% respectively.
However, the survey also revealed concerns among Central Europeans regarding China’s human rights record. When asked about the importance of human rights in their country’s relationship with China, an average of 58% of respondents across all 12 countries considered human rights to be important. This sentiment was highest in Slovenia (75%) and lowest in Hungary (46%).
Overall, the survey highlights the complexity of Central Europe’s relationship with China. While there is significant support for strengthening economic ties and Chinese investments, there are also concerns about China’s growing influence and its human rights record. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers as they navigate the evolving dynamics between the Central European countries and China.
