Blocking access to Western markets and other unexpected countermeasures force Beijing to adjust its expansionist policies

On September 16, 2025, six Russian drones violated Polish airspace, marking the largest such incident since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

For Warsaw and its NATO allies, this was interpreted as another Moscow operation to test the resilience of the collective defense system and exert pressure on the military infrastructure in Rzeszów.

The incident became a manifestation of China’s pressure strategy in response to the threat of China losing access to the European market following Poland’s imposition of restrictions on the land route.