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Organizing committee of the 4th International Congress of Belarusian Studies is pleased to announce call for proposals for the panel “Emerging Powers and Central and Eastern Europe: Missed Opportunities or Overestimated Perspectives?” The panel will focus on the current situation and the prospects of development of political and economic relations of Central and Eastern Europe with China and India.
Individual proposals are due by 2 June 2014.
To apply for participation in the panel, please fill in the online form: http://icbs.palityka.org/4th-international-congress-of-belarusian-studies.htm
Growing economic and political role of the emerging powers – China and India – profoundly changes the international situation today. Currently, China has the 2d largest world economy, while India reached the 10th economy in the world. Most experts agree that both countries will increase their economic and political significance further. However, the two countries have rather different political systems. China is an authoritarian regime, which actively spreads its influence in the world, while India is a consolidated democracy, focused on the domestic social and economic problems.
The rise of new powers has a clear impact on Central and Eastern Europe. Over the recent five years the presence of India and China in the region has grown considerably, and this growth requires a thorough analysis (under the term “Central and Eastern Europe” we mean the following countries: three Baltic States, four members of Visegrad Group and three European countries, who participatein Eastern Partnership program – Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova).
The panel will focus on the current situation and the prospects of development of political and economic relations of Central and Eastern Europe with China and India.
The following issues are suggested for discussion:
– the place of Central and Eastern Europe in the foreign policy of China and India;
– quantitative analysis of Central and Eastern Europe countries’ relations with India and China, Indian and Chinese vectors of their foreign policy;
– relations with India and China in the context of integration processes in the EU and post-Soviet countries;
– large investment projects of China in the region (in particularly, the Industrial Park in Belarus), Chinese investment strategy in Central and Eastern Europe;
– Development of cultural contacts and influence of China and India on the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
The panel will include a public discussion “Partners or rivals? Chinese policy towards the countries of Central and Eastern Europe”, which will gather politicians and experts.