Czech-China tensions, Poland’s birth rate slumps

The increase in tensions between the newly elected Czech president and Chinese authorities this week highlights the risk of a fracturing of economic ties between the two countries. For Czechia, China is a small export market and it isn’t dependent on inward investment from China; a much bigger threat would come if China blocked certain exports to Czechia. Elsewhere, population figures for 2022 out of Poland this week underscore the extent of the country's demographic squeeze and the constraints on its long-term growth potential.