Policy Fellow
Chinese foreign policy, China-EU relations, China-CEE relations, Chinese discourse power
Polish, English, French, Chinese
Alicja Bachulska is a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, based in the Warsaw office.
Bachulska has been at ECFR since 2023, having previously worked for over six years as a China analyst at the Asia Research Centre, a think-tank affiliated with Poland’s Ministry of National Defence. Her areas of expertise include EU-China relations, China’s relations with central and eastern European countries, Sino-Russian relations, and Beijing’s influence abroad. In the past she has also cooperated with numerous research institutions, including the Mercator Institute for China Studies, the Center for European Policy Analysis, the Association for International Affairs, and Freedom House. Together with Mark Leonard and Janka Oertel, Bachulska recently co-authored The Idea of China, a book based on over 100 interviews with Chinese intellectuals and published by ECFR.
Bachulska holds a PhD from the Graduate School for Social Research at the Polish Academy of Sciences. She graduated from the London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) with a BA in Chinese and development studies and completed a master’s in international politics (Chinese politics and diplomacy) at Fudan University, Shanghai.
Beijing’s economic policies are threatening European competitiveness and economic security at a time when Europe cannot afford to be vulnerable. Poland can use its growing leadership role in the EU to help guide the bloc’s response
With increased US-China competition likely to shape Trump’s second term, significant attention in Washington is focused on the primacists, prioritisers and restrainers vying to shape…
Mark Leonard and Alicja Bachulska welcome Yan Xuetong to discuss China’s role in the new global order
Mark Leonard welcomes Alicja Bachulska and Janka Oertel to discuss their latest book, “The Idea of China.”
China’s ideas could become the country’s next big export. The Idea of China examines Chinese thinking about global order, AI, demographic change, and more – and considers how these ideas could influence the world
Based on the idea that Russia’s and China’s increasingly aggressive foreign policies are interrelated, Taipei is strengthening ties with central and eastern Europe
Poland needs to rethink its approach to China. The new government provides an opportunity for Warsaw to work with European partners to develop a China strategy that strengthens both Poland and the EU
China’s zero-covid fallout may represent the start of a new chapter for China – one in which it becomes an increasingly unpredictable force in the world
Chinese thinkers are drawing four key lessons from Russia’s war on Ukraine, informing their views on: America, Russia, Taiwan, and economic interdependence with the West
Xi Jinping’s comments at the recent National People’s Congress confirmed Beijing’s ambitions for the next five years – and the challenges they present for Europe
Beijing’s economic policies are threatening European competitiveness and economic security at a time when Europe cannot afford to be vulnerable. Poland can use its growing leadership role in the EU to help guide the bloc’s response
China’s ideas could become the country’s next big export. The Idea of China examines Chinese thinking about global order, AI, demographic change, and more – and considers how these ideas could influence the world
Chinese thinkers are drawing four key lessons from Russia’s war on Ukraine, informing their views on: America, Russia, Taiwan, and economic interdependence with the West
Based on the idea that Russia’s and China’s increasingly aggressive foreign policies are interrelated, Taipei is strengthening ties with central and eastern Europe
Poland needs to rethink its approach to China. The new government provides an opportunity for Warsaw to work with European partners to develop a China strategy that strengthens both Poland and the EU
China’s zero-covid fallout may represent the start of a new chapter for China – one in which it becomes an increasingly unpredictable force in the world
Xi Jinping’s comments at the recent National People’s Congress confirmed Beijing’s ambitions for the next five years – and the challenges they present for Europe
China’s ‘peace plan’ for the war in Ukraine merely underlines its Russia-friendly perspective and desire to protect its own interests
To compete with China’s influence in the Gulf, European governments should embrace multipolarity and offer concrete alternatives to Gulf monarchies
Both China’s zero-covid U-turn and gentler diplomatic tone are politically useful for Xi Jinping. European leaders should remain vigilant in the face of a potential new charm offensive
Mark Leonard and Alicja Bachulska welcome Yan Xuetong to discuss China’s role in the new global order
Mark Leonard welcomes Alicja Bachulska and Janka Oertel to discuss their latest book, “The Idea of China.”
Mark Leonard welcomes Janka Oertel and Alicja Bachulska, to discuss China-Russia relations
With increased US-China competition likely to shape Trump’s second term, significant attention in Washington is focused on the primacists, prioritisers and restrainers vying to shape…
Current trade talks with China are not necessarily about closer cooperation with Beijing, but rather about using this strategic moment of uncertainty to negotiate
Alicja Bachulska on EU-China relations
Alicja Bachulska on EU-China trade relations
Current trade talks with China are not necessarily about working closer with Beijing: they are rather about using this strategic moment of uncertainty to negotiate new conditions
Alicja Bachulska on new relations between the EU and China
Alicja Bachulska on Poland’s economic security in the context of Chinese policies
Europe, including Poland, must realistically assess its own position and long-term interests in the context of Beijing’s revisionism
Alicja Bachulska on how to improve Poland’s economic security
