China＇s Engagement with the Sixteen Countries of Central, East and Southeast Europe under the Belt and Road Initiative

This paper provides an overview of China＇s burgeoning relationship with Central, Eastand Southeast Europe （CESEE） in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative （BRI）.China has rapidly expanded the extent of its interactions with CESEE since 2012,and this region has subsequently become one of the focal points of the BRI. The keyfeature of China＇s engagement with CESEE is the devising of an experimental andinnovative approach, demonstrated in the establishment of an institutional mechanismfor cooperation with a particular group of16 CESEE countries （16＋1）. The case ofChina-CESEE relations offers an insight into how, in the era of the BRL China iscomplementing its economic approach with institution-building and policy coordination.The article concludes that as the BRI progresses, these tendencies will remain central toChina＇s relations with CESEE.