Strategic Recalibrations: Central European Approaches to China and the Indo-Pacific

As global power dynamics shift, the EU’s approach to China has undergone a profound transformation—from cooperation to caution, and increasingly toward strategic competition. While large EU economies such as France and Germany have traditionally shaped this debate, recent years have seen smaller member states—particularly in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)—begin to assert their agency in recalibrating relations with China. Lithuania and Czechia stand out in this arena. Though lacking extensive historical engagement with the Indo-Pacific, both countries have published strategies for the region and used them to signal a broader shift in their foreign policy. Their decision to move from a China perspective to a regional one is a significant evolution in EU foreign-policy thinking. In doing so, they reflect a growing recognition that the Indo-Pacific is not only a site of geopolitical tension, but also a space of opportunity for building resilient supply chains, diversifying partnerships, and shaping economic security.

What motivates small EU member states with limited historical engagement with the region to formalize their Indo-Pacific strategies? How does this challenge assumptions about the influence and foreign policy capacity of smaller EU states? To what extent can CEE countries shape the broader EU approach to China and the Indo-Pacific? What are the implications of this shift for the EU’s coherence, competitiveness, and geopolitical standing?

The panel will examine the drivers, mechanisms, and challenges in the engagement of CEE countries with China and the Indo-Pacific. It will also reflect on the broader role of these countries in shaping EU-China relations and their contributions to the EU’s evolving Indo-Pacific vision. The speakers will offer insights into the opportunities and limits of small-state agency in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.

For more information, please contact Zsuzsanna Végh ([email protected]).

The event takes place in the framework of GMF's ReThink.CEE Fellowship program.


The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a nonpartisan policy organization committed to the idea that the United States and Europe are stronger together.