China is gradually becoming a new superpower. Although its plans in South East Europe remain an enigma, it is becoming increasingly more important as an investor, creditor and recently as a provider of soft military power. This last session will look at the increasing influence of China across the region, a force to reckon with in the future.

Jens Bastian is an independent economic analyst based in Athens and Stuttgart. His main areas of expertise are China’s expanding investment and bank lending footprint in Europe. As an EBRD consultant he wrote in July 2017 a report on China’s growing infrastructure engagement in Southeast Europe. In September 2013 he was appointed by the European Commission as a member of the Task Force for Greece in Athens. His previous professional experience included working as Lead Economist / Institution Building for the European Agency for Reconstruction in Thessaloniki, at Alpha Bank in Athens, and various academic positions held at St Antony’s, Nuffield College, and the LSE. He has been a Senior Research Associate with ELIAMEP(Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy) in Athens since 2009.

Igor Rogelja completed his doctoral studies at SOAS University of London, where he researched urban redevelopment in China and Taiwan. He remains interested in the politics of space, focusing his research on transnational infrastructure on the Eurasian continent. He recently completed a Max Weber Fellowship at the European University Institute, where he was working on Chinese-funded coal power plants in the Balkans, and is currently teaching Chinese politics at King's College London.