ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the individual experience of Czechia (Czechoslovakia), a small Central European country and, since 2004, an EU member state, within the context of the China-Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) economic and political rapprochement. This case study on the bilateral relations of two very different states reveals a growing impact of the global relevance of the Asian power in Europe, and China's re-discovering of the post-communist European region and it's potential. The chapter examines the international context of the fluctuating bilateral relations with the People Republic of China (PRC), and reflects both domestic strategies for developing ties with China and the way Chinese diplomacy modified its perception of the post-communist part of Europe. It reviews the European regional context from the perspective of the CEEC-PRC multilateral format. As the Chinese interest in the post-communist European region remarkably soared after 2012, there have been a number of new developments in the Czech–Chinese bilateral agenda.
