China’s Emerging Challenge to the Global Order: Issues for Europe and the West

Prague, 21 May 2025 – The Jan Masaryk Centre for International Studies (FIR) hosted a high-level international workshop as part of the European Hub for Contemporary China (EuroHub4Sino) project. Titled “China’s Emerging Challenge to the Global Order: Issues for Europe and the West”, the workshop brought together leading scholars and policy experts to explore the shifting dynamics of China’s influence across global and regional systems.

Funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe, the event opened with remarks from Martina Jiránková, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations, and Jeremy Garlick, Director of the Jan Masaryk Centre for International Studies.

The first panel, chaired by Professor Shaun Breslin of Warwick University, examined China’s challenge to the liberal/rules-based international order, focusing on mechanisms such as “Xiplomacy,” the SCO, BRICS, and beyond. Prominent contributions included insights from Richard Turcsányi (Palacký University), Joshua Eisenman (University of Notre Dame), and Flore Marie Naslin (Catholic University of Louvain).

Following a coffee break, the second panel addressed China’s growing influence in its Asian neighbourhood. Chaired by Jeremy Garlick, this session featured analysis of China’s regional relationships from experts, including Anja Senz (Heidelberg University), Tabita Rosendal Ebbesen (Lund University), Gaziza Shakhanova, and Pamir Sahill (Prague University of Economics and Business).

The event concluded with an open discussion on the implications of the workshop findings for EU policymakers and stakeholders, highlighting the growing strategic need for Europe to critically assess and respond to China’s expanding geopolitical footprint.

Participants continued their dialogue over a networking buffet lunch held on site.