Navigating Local Relations with China in Europe: Understanding Risks and Strategic Realities for Cities and Regions
8:00am - 9:00am EST
2:00pm - 3:00pm CET
3:00pm - 4:00pm EET
About this event
European cities and regions are increasingly engaging with counterparts from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on trade, investment, culture, education, technology, climate cooperation, and infrastructure. Many of these exchanges are legitimate and beneficial, but they take place in a highly asymmetric political and institutional context. It is one in which city and state actors often lack the information, resources, and coordination mechanisms needed to fully assess risks and strategic implications.
This public webinar marks the launch of Navigating Local Relations with China in Europe (NAVLO), an initiative led by GMF. The project aims to improve awareness and understanding of PRC city and state engagement, support evidence-based risk mitigation, and strengthen coordination among local, regional, national, and European stakeholders.
The session will introduce the project’s objectives, explain why engagement with the PRC has become a strategic issue for cities and regions, and outline the tools and resources that NAVLO will develop.
Event Speakers
Paul Costello
Senior Program Manager, GMF CitiesPaul Costello is a Berlin-based senior program manager for GMF Cities. He leads the team’s City Directors of International Affairs (CDIA) Network and contributes to GMF Cities’ democracy, disinformation, migration, and Ukraine ...
Mareike Ohlberg
Senior Fellow, Indo-Pacific ProgramMareike Ohlberg is a senior fellow in the Indo-Pacific Program and leads the Stockholm China Forum. She is based at GMF’s Berlin Office. Before joining GMF, Mareike worked as an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studi...