China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): The Political Challenge for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Countries

The concept of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) became an increasingly possible political strategy to strengthen cooperation among relevant countries by the facilitation facing challenges together and sharing benefits mutually. As Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries are located along the BRI in Western section, its emergence in international political discourse is changing the basic thinking and logic of traditional geopolitical competition. In geopolitical terms, the BRI's shadow is expanded over regions of the world as a complementary support instrument to the international policies, while some CEE countries tend to imply the BRI as a part of China’s hidden geopolitical strategy when numerous doubts concerned with the initiative have risen. This paper is to introduce theoretical background of integration initiatives and to analyse the political environment and current strategies in selected countries of CEE in the framework of the BRI. The methodology adds the case studies showing significance of cooperation with China among the CEE countries. It is revealed that some CEEs may have the political intention to consolidate its ties with the BRI, while the others may be guided by a strategy of wait-and-see attitude, and growing an uncertainty among the system of international relations as a political challenge.