Rudolf Fürst

Charles University, Prague, Faculty of Arts, Institute of Political Science, External Lecturer

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Rudolf Fürst is a Senior Researcher and Coordinator of the Centre for EU-Asia Relations at the Institute of International Relations, in Prague, and External Lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Faculty o Arts, Charles University. His research works and publications deal with contemporary China, Europe-China relations and relations of post-communist Central and Eastern Europe with China. He is a co-author of articles published in academic journals like Europe-Asia Studies, and Problems of Post-Communism.

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17 + 1 Regional Format Reviewed in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)

Isabella M. Weber: How China Escaped Shock Therapy: The Market Reform Debate

Czech Journal of International Relations

This book review follows Issabela Weber in her exploration of China's economic transformation... more This book review follows Issabela Weber in her exploration of China's economic transformation, focusing on the influence of Central and Eastern European (CEE) experts. Weber challenges conventional Western beliefs by highlighting the historical politics of inflation in shaping China's market reform debate. She examines the interactions between Chinese academics, liberal-minded party leaders, and CEE experts who acted as intermediaries for new ideas of economic transition. By unraveling the transnational history of CEE's intellectual impact on China's economic reforms in the context of emerging neoliberal globalization, Weber offers unique insights into China's economic development within the global landscape, among other aspects.

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Czechia’s 1 relations with China

China's Relations with Central and Eastern Europe

Taiwan – A Maturing Chinese Democracy

Podpora státního centralismu v reformní Číně

Wang Shaoguang - Hu Angang: The Chinese Economy in Crisis: State Capacity and Tax Reform. 1st ed.... more

Čínská Vojenská Hrozba

Cinska lidova republika se po skonceni studene valky stava regionalni velmoci. Jeji ekonomicka si... more Cinska lidova republika se po skonceni studene valky stava regionalni velmoci. Jeji ekonomicka sila, lidnatost a tradicně silný kulturni a politický vliv v Asii davaji tusit, že bude v budoucnu hrat stale významnějsi roli i v globalnim měřitku. Mnozi zapadni teoretici ve svých uvahach o budouci strategicke rovnovaze a bezpecnosti varuji před rostoucimi ambicemi Ciny a před jejim nevyzpytatelným chovanim v budoucich mezinarodnich vztazich. Castým důvodem k obavam jsou rostouci výdaje Ciny na bezpecnost a silici agresivita vůci Tchaj-wanu a zemim ASEAN v teritorialnich narocich na souostrovi v Jihocinskem moři.Budouci aspirace Ciny je třeba chapat v kontextu jejich tradic, z nichž vychazi i soucasna vlna siliciho cinskeho nacionalismu. Ten se po upadku komunisticke ideologie a po rozpadu socialistickeho bloku stava dominujici ideologii cinskeho statu a soucasně i nastrojem obhajoby legitimity komunisticke moci. Hrozba jeho přerůstani do podoby militarizace a agr esivni zahranicni poli...

Cultivating the Art of Anxiety: Securitising Culture in China

China Report, 2021

Deepening globalisation and worldwide availability of free information and ideas raise concerns o... more Deepening globalisation and worldwide availability of free information and ideas raise concerns of the communist China’s political leadership about the stability of the regime and the sustainability of the state ideological orthodoxy. Therefore, the state’s tightening control of the public communication to curtail the domestic criticism and occasional public discontent is becoming framed and legitimised in terms of cultural security as a non-traditional security concern. This study argues that the restrictive impacts of the politicisation of culture in the centralised agenda of President Xi Jinping reinvigorate China’s anti-Western narratives and attitudes. The research focuses on the state’s cultural security-related and applicable strategy in the political and institutional agenda and media. Moreover, the study also traces the state cultural security policy in the field of the civic and non-governmental sector, religious and ethnic minorities policy, literature, film and audiovisu...

Taming rock music in communist states: Politicisation of Western popular culture in East Europe and mainland China

New Perspectives, 2021

A comparison of the former Eastern Bloc and China’s ways of dealing with the social implications ... more A comparison of the former Eastern Bloc and China’s ways of dealing with the social implications of rock music as an alien cultural import from the West reveals significant analogies. The paper traces the process of politicisation of rock music and compares the two different cultural spaces by mapping each space’s state ideology, aesthetic traditions and identities, and discriminative political and economic tools used to marginalise rock. Here the term politicisation refers mainly to the polarisation between the communist regimes’ restrictive policies, and the attempts of the rock scenes to sustain their discriminating characteristics and relationship to protest. While in European communist states rock played a relevant subversive role, conversely, in China any ‘rocking’ of the state has largely been averted. The Chinese rock scene as an off-mainstream urban subculture has received less popular support than its counterpart in Europe and has also proved less politically significant. ...

China and Central Europe: cooperation in difficult times during the Covid-19 outbreak

Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, 2021

ABSTRACT The four Central and Eastern European (CEE) states, namely Poland, the Czech Republic, H... more ABSTRACT The four Central and Eastern European (CEE) states, namely Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, known as the Visegrad Group (V4), belong to the multilateral China-led 17 + 1 subregional platform that seeks to upgrade its members’ mutual economic and transportation infrastructure ties. This comparative case study traces the V4 states’ relations with China since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe and explores how far the existing multilateral format 17 + 1 was able to utilize its potential for strengthening China’s presence through healthcare cooperation to work together in fighting the pandemic. The findings reveal the prevailing bilateral ties being preferred over the institutionalized multilateral platform 17 + 1, a sustained ambiguity in the CEE states’ relations with China, and a poor coherence of the 17 + 1 format.

Čína Na Cestě Od Izolacionismu K Plíživé Globalizaci

Čínský ekonomický boom poutá pozornost již od konce 80. let. Úžas vzbuzuje tím spíše, jakou promě... more Čínský ekonomický boom poutá pozornost již od konce 80. let. Úžas vzbuzuje tím spíše, jakou proměnou prošla Čína během pouhých dvou desetiletí. Do sebe uzavřený ekonomický systém, který udivoval svými sociálními experimenty v době maoismu, se mění v zemi, která přitahuje zahraniční obchodníky a investory. Archetyp čínské zdi se mění v představu ráje podnikatelů. Právě kontrast mezi dřívější izolací a současným stavem způsobuje dojem převratné změny. Následující stať chce upozornit na význam tradice, jež ovlivňuje ekonomické i politické chování. Proto je její úvodní část věnována problematickým okolnostem vstupu západního stylu ekonomických a diplomatických vztahů do Číny, který musel být vynucen násilím. Došlo tak ke střetu dvou odlišných civilizací, z nichž ta dravější probudila Čínu ze staleté dřímoty. Čína v dynastických dobách nebyla vždy zemí ekonomicky, politicky a intelektuálně uzavřenou. V chování současné Číny lze ve vztahu k okolnímu světu najít řadu analogií s její minulostí. Jde především o pocit vlastní (čínské) kulturní identity, která nemotivuje k příliš velkému zájmu o okolní svět, avšak z praktických pohnutek jej akceptuje. Komunikace Číny s okolním světem je možná, ale podle čínských pravidel. To se týká zejména ekonomického chování, které je jako druh sociální interakce podmíněno kulturními zvyklostmi. Pokud obchodní a investiční partneři Číny v jejím vlastním prostředí zpočátku nečekali kulturní specifika čínského stylu chování, jistě se s nimi brzy seznámí. Toto poznání bude dokumentovat, jakým způsobem se tradiční čínské chování sbližuje s globálním standardem a do jaké míry je čínská společnost ochotna nechat se ovlivnit. Stať nechce hodnotit, zda a jak jsou čínské ekonomické reformy úspěšné, ani neusiluje o jejich podrobný popis. Mým záměrem je poskytnout představu, do jaké míry je moderní Čína stále typická a tradiční a do jaké míry se v současné době pootevírá světu tam, kde se s ním nejlépe shodne-v průniku ekonomických zájmů. Prostor stati nedovoluje však přiblížit širší kontext čínské kulturní vyhraněnosti vůči okolnímu světu, redukuje problém směrem k ekonomické realitě vzhledem k předpokládanému přednostnímu zájmu české veřejnosti o ekonomické příležitosti v reformní Číně.

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Michal Tomášek: Dějiny čínského práva

Mezinárodní vztahy, 2005

... cenzorátu, organizace justi-ce, daňový systém, vztahy spojené s vlastnictvím půdy a pokusy o ... more ... cenzorátu, organizace justi-ce, daňový systém, vztahy spojené s vlastnictvím půdy a pokusy o reformy ekonomické- ho řízení státu /viz dynastie Sung/). ... Překvapující pro ně bylo, jak ma-lou roli hrálo právo v životě společnosti, jak se jeho aplikaci lidé v Číně spíše vyhýbali a do ...

Tchaj-wanmladá čínská demokracie

Mezinárodní vztahy, 2004

The essay deals with the rise of democracy in Taiwan, points out the specific role of the reform ... more The essay deals with the rise of democracy in Taiwan, points out the specific role of the reform politician Lee Teng-hui, and his contribution by accelerating the evolution from authoritarian regime to a democratic one. The contemporary political situation in Taiwan is characterised by the existence of two strong political blocks-the pan-blue and pan-green alliances, which have been formed along the two main political parties: the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Democratic progressive party (DPP), former opposition. Taiwan's dilemma of future reunification with the mainland China (People's Republic of China) is an important political issue, which divides the two leading alliances, as well as the public opinion. The phenomenon of the rising Taiwanese nationalism, which is used by the pan-green alliance, is becoming a substantial circumstance in power competition. The final part of the essay aims to present the specific case of Taiwan's democracy along with the debate in Foreign Affairs (May/June 1998) about the mutual connection of democracy and liberalism. The discussion opposed the article written by the journalist Fareed Zakaria who had pointed out the positive role of liberalisation under the authoritarian regimes in comparison with quick democratization in non-liberal backgrounds.

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Politické vnímání Číny v Čechách: mezi věcností a nevěcností, orientalismem a okcidentalismem

Mezinárodní vztahy, 2005

China’s bid for international leadership in Central and Eastern Europe: role conflict and policy responses

International Relations, 2022

China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) have intensified their cooperation over ... more China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) have intensified their cooperation over the past decade or so. Despite some modest progress, this cooperation has performed below the expectations of the CEECs in general, and, even more so, generated negative feedback and implications more widely. This study is motivated by the puzzle over why there are widening discrepancies between the two sides after initially positive expectations. Informed by the role theory of international relations, this paper mainly argues that there is an intrarole conflict between China’s perception of its international leadership role and the corresponding role expectations of China held by the CEECs. This framework is empirically assessed on the 17 + 1 cooperation, through which China strives to forge a leadership role for itself in relation to the CEECs. Amid generally low expectations of China’s leadership role, three general patterns of responses can be identified among the CEECs, including th...

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Cultivating the Art of Anxiety: Securitising Culture in China

Deepening globalisation and worldwide availability of free information and ideas raise concerns o... more Deepening globalisation and worldwide availability of free information and ideas raise concerns of the communist China's political leadership about the stability of the regime and the sustainability of the state ideological orthodoxy. Therefore, the state's tightening control of the public communication to curtail the domestic criticism and occasional public discontent is becoming framed and legitimised in terms of cultural security as a non-traditional security concern. This study argues that the restrictive impacts of the politicisation of culture in the centralised agenda of President Xi Jinping reinvigorate China's anti-Western narratives and attitudes. The research focuses on the state's cultural security-related and applicable strategy in the political and institutional agenda and media. Moreover, the study also traces the state cultural security policy in the field of the civic and non-governmental sector, religious and ethnic minorities policy, literature, film and audiovisual sectors. The findings assess the concern that the intellectually anachronistic, self-restraining and internationally hostile policy devaluates China's cultural potential and complexity.

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China's bid for international leadership in Central and Eastern Europe: role conflict and policy responses

by Rudolf Fürst and Weiqing Song

China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) have intensified their cooperation over ... more China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) have intensified their cooperation over the past decade or so. Despite some modest progress, this cooperation has performed below the expectations of the CEECs in general, and, even more so, generated negative feedback and implications more widely. This study is motivated by the puzzle over why there are widening discrepancies between the two sides after initially positive expectations. Informed by the role theory of international relations, this paper mainly argues that there is an intrarole conflict between China's perception of its international leadership role and the corresponding role expectations of China held by the CEECs. This framework is empirically assessed on the 17 + 1 cooperation, through which China strives to forge a leadership role for itself in relation to the CEECs. Amid generally low expectations of China's leadership role, three general patterns of responses can be identified among the CEECs, including those of dissenters, pragmatists, and persisting partners. Furthermore, China's leadership demands encountered challenges from other players, particularly the European Union and the United States.

format_quoteChina's reliance on positive material incentives in the CEECs reveals growing discrepancies over expected economic benefits and coherent leadership.format_quote

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Česko-Čínské Vztahy Po Roce 1989 /

ABSTRACT

China und die Menschenrechte

osteuropa, 2021

China's Soft Power in Europe Falling on Hard Times A Report by the European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC

by Tamas Matura, Lucas Erlbacher, Rudolf Fürst, Barbara Pongratz, Plamen Tonchev, and Carlos Rodrigues

ETNC, 2021

Analysis from 17 countries and EU institutions reveals that Chinese soft power in Europe – define... more Analysis from 17 countries and EU institutions reveals that Chinese soft power in Europe – defined as the ability to influence preferences through attraction or persuasion – has seen better days.This report, which brings together experts from across the continent, is a collaborative effort of the 20 research institutes that make up the European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC).
Developing soft power has been a pillar of Chinese foreign policy since 2007 and remains a stated goal of China’s long-term policy orientation to 2035. The country-level analysis from the report identifies three prominent Chinese approaches to developing soft power in Europe:

- promoting Chinese language and culture;
- shaping China’s image through the media;
- and using the secondary soft-power effects of economic prowess.

Recently, and over the last year in particular, China has become more assertive in attempting to shape its image by expanding its toolkit, particularly to enhance its political messaging. This includes the systematic use of social media.

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Mobilizing Overseas Chinese to Back Up Chinese Diplomacy: The Case of President Hu Jintao’s Visit to Slovakia in 2009

Problems of Post-Communism, 2015

Rudolf Fürst

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