China’s Strategy in Global Power Transitions: Challenges in a Turbulent World — A panel discussion

Feb 24, 2025

Guest

Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova

Guest

In a riveting panel, experts delve into China's evolving role in global dynamics, including its ties to Europe and the Ukraine conflict. Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova highlights China's influence in the Baltic states amid geopolitical challenges. Dmytro Yefremov provides insights on China's foreign relations from a Ukrainian perspective. Qiang Liu discusses energy security and China's Green transition, while Klaus Larres examines the shifting alliances between China, Russia, and the West, emphasizing the intricacies at play in international relations.

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INSIGHT

Increased Risk for Baltics

The current geopolitical climate, particularly Trump's pro-Moscow stance, increases the risk of Russian kinetic invasion in the Baltics.
Smaller states in Europe are rallying to prevent another Iron Curtain scenario.

INSIGHT

China-Russia-Baltics Dynamic

China and Russia share a dislike for NATO, with China supporting the narrative that NATO enlargement caused the Ukraine crisis.
The Baltics view China as a critical enabler of Russia, impacting their approach to China.

INSIGHT

China's Concerns and Opportunities

A potential US-Russia reconciliation worries China, as it could lead to increased US focus on containing China.
China sees an opportunity to exploit tensions between the US and Ukraine to advance its interests.

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This week on Sinica: February 24 marks the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and as I’ve done for the last two years, I moderated a panel organized by Vita Golod, a Ukrainian China scholar who happens to be here in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at UNC as a visiting scholar. She’s worked tirelessly to promote awareness of the war, and I’m honored again to have been asked to moderate this panel.

The guests you'll hear from are:

Dr. Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova, Director of the China Studies Centre at Riga Stradins University in Latvia. Fluent in Chinese, Russian, and English, she has collaborated with scholars like Kerry Brown of King’s College London and has done extensive work on China's role in Europe and beyond.

Dr. Dmytro Yefremov, Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at the National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" in Ukraine. A board member of the Ukrainian Association of Sinologists, he specializes in China's foreign relations and has traveled extensively to China, providing firsthand insight into Ukraine's perspective on China's role in the war and beyond.

Dr. Qiang Liu, Director of the Energy Economics Division at the Institute of Quantitative & Technical Economics within the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). He also serves as the Co-chair and Secretary-General of the Global Forum on Energy Security. His research focuses on energy security, energy economics, and policy, with a particular emphasis on China's Belt and Road Initiative and its global energy partnerships.

Dr. Klaus Larres, Richard M. Krasno Distinguished Professor of History and International Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. An expert on transatlantic relations, U.S., German, and EU foreign policy, and China's role in the post-Cold War order, he has a profound interest in the history of the Cold War and the politics of Winston Churchill.

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