The analysis suggests that the debate on 5G development has largely been affected by international developments, including the intensifying US-China struggle under the Trump administration, rather than domestic decisions. One exception is Czechia, where the national cybersecurity agency NÚKIB played a key role in shaping the local discourse.
On the issue of Chinese investments, media coverage has largely followed a growing groundswell of Sino-skepticism and dampened expectations towards the promise of Chinese capital inflows to the V4. In Czechia, this was most significantly linked to the failure of the CEFC company and its investments in the country, which began a downward spiral in Sino-Czech relations.
The Hungarian media environment presents a particularly interesting case, reflecting also the special nature of the bilateral relationship with China. Hungarian pro-government media, as might be anticipated, report on China mostly positively. However, the positive lens is mostly applied as a means to promote the successes of the Orbán government. Overall, media coverage continues to be driven by materialistic considerations, rather than political values.
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