China

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

Weber calls on EU to close ranks against China
In view of the dispute between Washington and Beijing over a presumed Chinese spy balloon over US territory, EPP leader Manfred Weber has called on the EU to close ranks with the US. “China’s new obvious spying activities against the USA are a cause for concern,” Weber told the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers. The behavior of […] continue reading →
Laboratory monkeys in short supply across Europe
Laboratory monkeys in biomedical research are becoming scarce. Until 2020, monkeys for medical research came mainly from China. But the People’s Republic stopped the export at the very beginning of the Covid pandemic. At that time, it was not certain whether the virus could also be transmitted by the laboratory primates. However, Beijing has not […] continue reading →
Jörg Wuttke: ‘Germany and Europe First’
The long-serving President of the EU Chamber of Commerce in Beijing calls for a more robust way of engaging with the world's second-largest economy. The diversification demanded by politicians has already been taking place for a long time, said Jörg Wuttke in conversation with Finn Mayer-Kuckuk and Felix Lee. continue reading →
TikTok: Breton calls for more commitment
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew continues his efforts to spread good vibes for his company in Brussels. There was a good exchange between him and EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, tweeted Caroline Greer, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations of the Chinese video app on Thursday. The conversation with Breton took place via […] continue reading →
EU recommends mandatory testing for travelers from China
The new year of relations between China and the EU is off to a shaky start: Anyone who wants to travel from the People's Republic to certain EU states will have to provide a negative Covid test as of next week. Beijing is not very happy about this. But trouble also looms on the horizon in other areas. continue reading →
EU states discuss Covid in China
Representatives of the EU states want to discuss on Wednesday a unified approach in their response to the Covid wave in China. This was announced by the Swedish presidency in Brussels on Monday. The main issue is how to deal with people entering the country from China. A spokeswoman for the German Ministry of Health […] continue reading →
Building confidence for cooperation
The meeting between President Xi Jinping and EU Council President Charles Michel was an important sign for the future relationship between Brussels and Beijing, writes China's new EU Ambassador Fu Cong in his first public opinion piece since his arrival. He wants to advance the common interests of both sides during his tenure in Belgium. continue reading →
EU advances WTO case against China
The EU is stepping up its action against China in two cases at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Brussels has requested the establishment of two arbitration tribunals for two ongoing cases, the EU Commission announced on Wednesday. The WTO cases involve the de facto trade blockade against Lithuania and patent protection for high-tech products. In […] continue reading →
Ivana Karásková – China’s Influence over Central and Eastern Europe
China’s role in Central and Eastern Europe has changed. Not for the better, according to Ivana Karásková. Karásková is a China Research Fellow and project coordinator at the think tank Association for International Affairs (AMO) in Prague. She originally wanted to become a journalist and report from around the world. But after graduation, she was […] continue reading →
IRA: Von der Leyen announces new investment policy
The US Inflation Reduction Act requires Europe to change course on investment policy, according to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In order to mitigate competitive disadvantages, EU regulations on public investment must be relaxed, she said yesterday in a speech at the College of Europe in Bruges. Furthermore, Europe needs additional funding to promote […] continue reading →
Independence in solar sector would cost $44 billion
To reduce dependence on China in the solar sector, Europe would have to invest billions of dollars. According to an as-yet unpublished calculation by the think tank BloombergNEF (BNEF), it would cost 44 billion US dollars to meet the demand for solar modules in 2030 from European production alone. A recent Nature study also shows […] continue reading →
Michel is not being heard in Beijing
During three hours of talks in Beijing with Xi Jinping, EU Council President Charles Michel addresses the current protests as well as the war in Ukraine but achieves few concrete concessions. Xi, on the other hand, does not want to see any "real strategic conflicts or differences". continue reading →
Charles Michel’s difficult mission in Beijing
Amid protests against zero-Covid, the EU Council chief travels to China. The timing for the first personal handshake in years is problematic. For President Xi, however, the photo opportunity comes at just the right time, as the EU-US dialogue on China is being held in Washington at almost the same time. For Michel, however, a "mission impossible" awaits him in China. continue reading →
Supply Chain Act: BDI calls EU Parliament ‘far removed from reality’
The Federation of German Industries (BDI) has accused the European Parliament of a lack of practical relevance in the drafting process of the EU-wide supply chain law. “The EU Parliament seems to lack a sense of proportion for the competitiveness of European companies in the crisis,” BDI President Siegfried Russwurm said on Thursday. The scope […] continue reading →
Highly subsidized corporations should not be allowed to take over EU companies
The European Parliament has given the green light to a new trade instrument aimed at preventing takeovers of European firms by highly subsidized foreign companies. MEPs voted by a large majority on Thursday in favor of the measure, which could come into force soon and is intended to combat market distortions. Brussels also wants to […] continue reading →
Shanghai trade fair cancels video speech by EU Council President Michel
Chinese authorities have not shown a pre-recorded critical opening speech by EU Council President Charles Michel at the major Shanghai trade fair. Michel’s spokesman, Barend Leyts, confirmed the incident, saying the EU Council President had been invited to speak at the 5th Hongqiao Forum (CIIE) in Shanghai. The video should have been shown on Friday […] continue reading →
Mixed reactions to Scholz trip to China
Following the visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Beijing, there was both criticism and approval from Berlin and Brussels over the weekend (China.Table reported on Friday). Scholz briefed US President Joe Biden on the outcome of his trip on Sunday evening, according to a government spokesman. Biden appreciated Chinese President Xi Jinping’s clear statement […] continue reading →
The West needs an energy and resource alliance
Democracies should form an alliance for the supply of energy and critical raw materials to become less dependent on China, according to Morten Svendstorp. The alliance could jointly provide analyses, create a market-based trading system, and develop quality standards. continue reading →