China Knowledge Network
The Dutch China Knowledge Network (CKN) is a network established to connect China experts and disseminate knowledge within the government of the Netherlands and beyond.
#50 China and Trade in Critical Raw Materials (CRMs): Understanding the means of exchange, control, and power amid heightened geopolitical tension
#49 China's Foreign-related Rule of Law: Significance, Development and Prospects
#48 Beyond Borders: Chinese Use of Foreign Interference Tactics in Dutch Strategic Industries
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Latest CKN Knowledge Sessions Recordings
How China won over Africa
China has become Africa’s largest trading partner, a major investor in infrastructure and a key political partner for governments across the continent. From railways and ports to mining, manufacturing and digital infrastructure, China’s presence in Africa has expanded dramatically over the past two decades. Yet despite the scale of this engagement, many questions remain. Why has China been so successful in Africa? What has Beijing understood that others have not? And what lessons does Africa offer for policymakers, businesses and development practitioners seeking to engage with the continent?
The Eagle and the Dragon
As tensions between the United States and China continue to shape global politics, questions surrounding trade, technology, security, and Taiwan have become increasingly important. How does the Trump administration view its relationship with Beijing? What role does Taiwan play in US strategic thinking? And what are the implications for Europe? Drawing on his expertise in geopolitics, trade, and transatlantic relations, Rem Korteweg offered a Washington perspective on the future of US–China relations and the broader international order.
Latest CKN Report Presentations
China and Trade in Critical Raw Materials (CRMs)
In a time of increased rivalry between great powers, control of critical raw materials (CRMs) has shown to be at the core of power politics. China’s dominant position across mining, processing and trade has turned resource security into a defining question of sovereignty for Europe and its allies. China has started to use export controls and other tools to leverage this dominance, risking the survival of key European industries (automotive, energy, health, aerospace, and defence). In this presentation, the authors of the paper claim that too little attention is paid to the underlying mechanism of the CRM markets, allowing China to dominate, and explain the functioning of the market as well as outline potential solutions.
Chinese Use of Foreign Interference Tactics in Dutch Strategic Industries
Geopolitical competition is increasingly defined by control over strategic industries, technological capabilities, and critical supply chains. This is creating a new arena for exerting influence over, and securing dominance within, key industrial ecosystems, with significant implications for the Netherlands as an open, innovation-driven economy. At the same time, the Netherlands’ relationship with China is marked by both strategic competition and economic partnership, requiring policymakers to strike a careful balance between protecting strategic industries and maintaining constructive interactions with Beijing.
Latest CKN Interviews
Joe Studwell on China-Africa Relations
Joe Studwell is an economist, journalist and bestselling author whose work on economic development has influenced policymakers and scholars around the world. His books include How Asia Works and How Africa Works, both of which challenge conventional wisdom about development and offer a comparative perspective on the policies that drive long-term economic success. His work combines historical analysis, field research and a deep understanding of the political economy of growth.
John Seaman and Wouter Jacobs on China and Trade in Critical Raw Materials
John Seaman is a Research Fellow in Ifri’s Center for Asian Studies, which he joined in 2009. He coordinates Ifri’s participation in a number of European research networks on China, such as the European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC) and as a core participant in the Digital Power China (DPC) and ReConnect China (Horizon Europe) consortiums.
Wouter Jacobs (PhD, 2007) is the founder and executive director of the Erasmus Commodity & Trade Centre (ECTC), fostering talent and ideas for future trade. ECTC engages in academic and professional education, executive development, and applied research.