Observations With Regards To China's Relations With Romania And Moldova

• Author: Daniel Haitas
• Pages: 105-115

LESIJ NO. XXV, VOL. 2/2018

OBSERVATIONS WITH REGARDS TO CHINA’S RELATIONS WITH

ROMANIA AND MOLDOVA

1

Daniel HAITAS

Abstract

China’s importance in the international arena is increasing, also including in the European

region. In recent times there has particularly been an attempt to intensify relations in the context of the

Belt and Road Initiative and in the case of Central and Eastern Europe, also through the creation of

the 16 + 1 format. Two countries with connections to these initiatives are Romania and Moldova, the

former being a European Union Member State and the latter a country with an Association Agreement

with the European Union. Romania h istorically has strong ties to China, going back to the Cold War

period, while Moldova now appears to have the potential be able to p lay the role of an important

partner for China in Eastern Europe.

Keywords: China, Romania, Moldova, European Un ion, Belt and Road Initiative, bilateral

relations

1. Introduction

The rise of China and its growing

influence has become a major factor in

shaping the present international

environment. As a result, we have seen

China strengthening its relations with

various countries around the globe,

particularly in the context of the Belt and

Road Initiative. Europe has been no

exception to this, including the Central and

Eastern European region. An important

example of China reinforcing its ties to this

region can be seen in the dev eloping of its

relations with both Romania and Moldova.

Here there will be an overview of the basic

framework of China-Romania relations, and

important developments that have taken

place in this relationship over time. Keeping

1

The study was made under the scope of the Ministry of Justice’s program on strengthening the quality of legal

education/Az Igazságügyi Minisztérium jogászképzés színvonalának emelését célzó programjai keretében valósult meg.

 Junior Research Fellow, MTA-DE Public Service Research Group, Lecturer and PhD Candidate, Géza Marton

Doctoral School of Legal Studies, Faculty of Law, University of Debrecen (e-mail: danielhaitas@gmail.com).

1

Xinhua: China, Romania agree to deepen cooperation in infrastructure, finance, 8 July 2018,

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/08/c_137309015.htm (last access 14.09.2018).

in mind that 201 9 will mark 70 years of the

establishment of diplomatic relations

between Romania and the People’s Republic

of China

1

, the author considers this article as

a timely contribution to the literature on this

important and current subject. Furthermore,

this article shall also briefly survey China’s

relations with Moldova. The latter offers an

interesting example of a small co untry in

Eastern Europe which can be said to exist at

a geopolitical crossroads, which appears to

be pursuing so mething of a multivector

foreign policy, part of which is the

strengthening of bilateral relations with

China.