For the last several years China has viewed the region of Central and Eastern Europe as an opportunity to gain a foothold in the European Union and influence states between the East and the West. One country not often considered as one in China’s focus is Lithuania. In this episode Maciak interviews Konstantinas Andrijauskas, an Associate Professor of Asian Studies and International Politics at Vilnius University. They look at how China has focused on increasing its influence in the region and specifically its growing interest in Lithuania - economically and politically. They also discuss how the COVID-19 crisis now plays a role in relations with China in Europe and the West.

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Resources
Konstantinas Andrijauskas: The Dragon and the Knight: China’s Growing Presence in Lithuania. Eastern Europe Studies Centre. http://www.eesc.lt/uploads/news/id1137/v07_Dragon-and-Knight_leidinys_A4.pdf
Episode 21: Russia-China relations in the spotlight https://www.spreaker.com/user/talkeasterneurope/episode21

Music featured in the podcast under Creative Commons license 4.0
“Taste of China” by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/292-taste-of-china
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Episode 38: China’s unlikely interest in Lithuania