Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book introduces the background to and main trends of Chinese foreign policy, with special reference to China and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) relations. It addresses China's bilateral relations with specific countries in CEE, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Balkan states. The book then sets the broad context of current China's domestic politics and foreign policy under President Xi Jinping. It also provides a detailed account of how China has developed relations with Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) over the past two decades, with a particular focus on the 16 + 1 process and the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative. The book analyzes the characteristics of China's economic relations with CEECs, with a focus on China's investment and trade flows to the region and the underlying motivations for them.