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.
Standardisation with Chinese Characteristics?
The International Law of the Sea and the South China Sea Disputes
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Latest CKN Knowledge Sessions Recordings
China's Green Transition, Lessons for Dutch Industrial Policy
In this Knowledge Session, Mingran Cao presents findings from his recent fieldwork in Yancheng, a coastal city in Jiangsu province that has undergone a remarkable transformation—from a heavy reliance on the chemical industry to becoming a leader in renewable energy development. The talk highlights how these insights can inform policy and industrial strategy here in the Netherlands.
Inside the CCP’s New Social Work Department
The Chinese Communist Party has launched a powerful new institutional tool – the Central Department of Social Work – tasked with reaching into the very heart of society: private companies, NGOs, community groups, and even volunteers. But what does this tell us about the Party's grip—and its doubts? Dr. Frank Pieke tells us all about this new phenomenon in the new CKN Knowledge Session.
Latest CKN Report Presentations
CKN Report Presentation - Chinese Civil Society in the Netherlands and Europe by Prof. dr. Maggi Leung
This CKN report examines the emergence, structure, networks, impact, and challenges of new Chinese civil society organizations (CCSOs) in Europe, with a primary focus on the Netherlands. It explores how these organizations—distinct from traditional Chinese diaspora associations— have developed since the 2010s in response to shifting migration patterns, political pressures, and digital infrastructure. Based on 32 in-depth interviews with CCSO initiators and participants, this study provides a grounded account of the civic landscape shaped by Mainland Chinese migrants in contemporary Europe.
CKN Report Presentation - Standardisation with Chinese Characteristics? by Alexandre Gomes
This China Knowledge Network (CKN) report argues that Europe must see standardisation not as a niche technical field, but as a key site of geopolitical contestation and opportunity. Europe has historically occupied a central position in international standardisation. China has aligned industrial champions, state institutions and global diplomacy behind a shared objective: embedding Chinese standards in the global economy of tomorrow. This report proposes a blueprint for action on standardisation along programming, promoting, protecting, partnering and process. These parallel paths should help reorient the stance of the EU and its Member States on standardisation.
Latest CKN Interviews
Maggi Leung on Chinese Civil Society in the Netherlands and Europe
Maggi W.H. Leung is Professor of International Development Studies and Chair of the Governance and Inclusive Development research group. A geographer and migration scholar by training, her research focuses on the socio-spatial impacts of migration and mobilities, particularly in peripherised and climate-affected areas.
Alexandre Gomes on Standardisation with Chinese Characteristics?
Alexandre Gomes is a Research Fellow at the Netherlands Institute for International Relations ‘Clingendael’ in The Hague. His research focuses on the role of technology in geopolitics. In this interview he explains how China has pushed to shape global standards and why Europe must treat standardisation as a geopolitical priority. You can read the report on the CKN website and watch the report presentation here.
Kun He on how Chinese AI models handle politically sensitive prompts
Dr. Kun He, postdoctoral researcher at the Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC) at Tilburg University, talks about Chinese Large Language Models (LLM's) and how they handle politically sensitive prompts. Watch the full presentation here.