Conversation

12.21.23

What Does It Really Mean for Europe to ‘De-Risk’ Its Relationship with China?

Thomas König, Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova & more from Mercator Institute for China Studies
At the core of many EU Commission and member states’ recent discussions of China is the concept of “de-risking.” Distinct from “decoupling,” the concept focuses on mitigating risks and limiting strategic dependencies in Europe’s relationship with...

Conversation

04.05.23

As Macron Arrives in Beijing, What’s Next for Europe and China?

Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova, Frans-Paul van der Putten & more
One year after the EU-China Summit of April 2022—famously described as a “dialogue of the deaf” by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell—relations between Europe and China remain tense and further complicated by China’s ongoing stance towards Russia...

Conversation

04.14.22

Europe’s China Policy Has Taken a Sharp Turn. Where Will It Go Next?

Rogier Creemers, Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova & more
In their first such meeting in nearly two years, representatives of the European Union and Chinese government met on April 1 for a virtual summit. The conversations took place against the backdrop of not only unprecedented unity among the members of...

How Will the EU Navigate U.S.-China Tensions?

Paul Haenle, Rosa Balfour & more from Carnegie China
Over the past few years, Europe and the United States have each approached China’s rise differently. Washington has moved to reduce its economic reliance on Beijing while castigating its increasingly assertive global stance. Brussels, on the other...
03.30.21

Shielding Corporate Interests, Europe Leaves NGOs Working in China by the Wayside

Bertram Lang
In late December 2020, at the end of a very turbulent year in Europe-China relations, and after more than seven years of often strenuous negotiations, the European Union (EU) and China agreed on the terms of a “Comprehensive Agreement on Investment...

Conversation

09.17.20

Europe and China’s ‘Virtual Summit’

Noah Barkin, Dan Baer & more
Meeting via video conference on Monday, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, held a summit with European Council President Charles Michel, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Slimmed down in format thanks to the...

Conversation

04.06.20

What Does the Coronavirus Mean for EU-China Relations?

Plamen Tonchev, Theresa Fallon & more
2020 promised to be an especially consequential year for the EU-China relationship, but three highly anticipated summits have been thrown into uncertainty, and diplomacy between Europe and China is now completely consumed by the coronavirus crisis.

Conversation

10.18.19

The Future of Huawei in Europe

Samm Sacks, Yixiang Xu & more
On October 9, the European Commission and the European Agency for Cybersecurity released their long-awaited risk assessment of the region’s 5G network. Written with input from all 28 European Union members, the report warned about a 5G supplier from...

In Reassessing China, Europe Sharpens Its Approach

Paul Haenle, Tomáš Valášek & more from Carnegie China
In recent weeks, Beijing has both won victories and suffered defeats during important summits and dialogues with France and Italy, as well as the European Union. French President Emmanuel Macron invited German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European...

Conversation

04.08.19

How Should Europe Handle Relations with China?

Thorsten Benner, Ilaria Carrozza & more
When Xi Jinping visited Europe in late March, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker portrayed the future of EU-China relations in mixed terms: “We are strategic partners, and yes, rivals,” he said, “but competition among us is a good...

Xi’s Visit to ‘Rival’ Europe

Paul Haenle & Philippe Le Corre from Carnegie China
President Xi Jinping travels to Italy and France this month for his first overseas trip of 2019. His visit comes soon after the European Commission labeled China a “systemic rival” and “economic competitor.” Xi’s objective for both trips is to shore...
07.16.18

EU Raised Foreign NGO Law at EU-China Human Rights Dialogue

China and the EU held their 36th Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing on July 9 and 10. The EU press release about the dialogue makes clear that issues such as detained lawyers and the situation in Xinjiang were a key focus of the sessions, but the EU...

Conversation

07.12.18

Can China Replace the U.S. in Europe?

Jan Weidenfeld, Isabel Hilton & more
The G7 debacle reminded Europeans the problems with relying on a fraying transatlantic partnership. Meanwhile, China has been playing a larger role on the continent, increasing its investment and its political influence. On July 6-7, Bulgaria held...
07.12.18

Video Policy Brief: Including Civil Society in EU-China Relations

Andreas Fulda from Asia Dialogue
Asia Dialogue recently posted a series of “video policy briefs” looking at implementation of the Foreign NGO Law in China. Each video looks at a different country or aspect of the Law’s implementation. The following offers the author’s suggestions...

Exclusive: China Presses Europe for Anti-U.S. Alliance on Trade

Robin Emmott, Noah Barkin
Reuters
China is putting pressure on the European Union to issue a strong joint statement against President Donald Trump’s trade policies at a summit later this month but is facing resistance, European officials said.

Viewpoint

05.23.18

Germany Needs China to Save the Global Order from Trump

Sebastian Heilmann from Mercator Institute for China Studies
The U.S. president’s attacks on multilateralism may push Chancellor Merkel into an unlikely alliance with Beijing. Germany and the EU have to test ways to work with China in the absence of transatlantic coordination. The goal must be to organize an...

The Rise of Populism and Implications for China

Paul Haenle & Thomas Carothers from Carnegie China
The rise of populism in Europe and the United States has had a pronounced impact on domestic politics and foreign policy, as seen in Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. In China, leaders are unsettled by the nationalist and anti-globalization...

Europe Caught in the Middle as Trump Threatens China

Jack Ewing
New York Times
Europe in dilemma as conflict escalates between its two biggest trading partners.

With Everyone Focused on Russia, China Is Quietly Expanding Its Influence across Europe

Rick Noack
Washington Post
Two new studies suggest that European leaders appear to too willing to overlook China’s authoritarian ambitions.

Britain’s May Discusses Trade Barriers with China’s Xi

Erika Kinetz and Christopher Bodeen
Washington Post
British Prime Minister Theresa May said Friday she discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping the importance of removing barriers to commerce, especially for British food, drink and financial services, as the two countries move toward a future...

Viewpoint

01.31.18

The U.K. Needs to Rethink Its Engagement with China

Paul Irwin Crookes & Kyle Jaros
As British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives in Beijing today, where is the U.K.’s relationship with China heading? Despite a complex history, U.K.-China relations have remained a relative bright spot in China’s engagement with the West in recent...

Theresa May Declines to Endorse China’s Belt and Road Initiative

George Parker
Financial Times
UK prime minister to raise concerns on visit aimed at boosting trade ties.
01.03.18

New Analysis on European NGOs and the Foreign NGO Law

A year after the Foreign NGO Law’s promulgation, Betram Lang of Goethe University asks why European civil society seems relatively quiescent about the new legal regime. The answer may lie in the wide range of interests belied by the singular “...
01.03.18

Why Has the Chinese Foreign NGO Law Become a Non-Issue in Europe?

Bertram Lang
Worries about the future of civil society organizations in China are limited to only a handful of European countries. Others put their faith in established informal ties or have subscribed to Chinese understandings of “people-to-people exchanges,”...

Chinese Premier Backs More Investments in Eastern Europe

Pablo Gorondi
ABC
At a summit of 16 countries in the Hungarian capital, Premier Li Keqiang said efforts such as China’s “new Silk Road” initiative to expand trade across Asia, Africa and Europe, should be a boon to the countries that were formally part of the...

Chinese Premier Backs More Investments in Eastern Europe

Pablo Gorondi
At a summit of 16 countries in the Hungarian capital, Premier Li Keqiang said efforts such as China’s “new Silk Road” initiative to expand trade across Asia, Africa and Europe, should be a boon to the countries that were formally part of the...

China Lifts Ban on Stinky Cheese

Tamar Lapin
New York Post
Authorities imposed the embargo in September because the stinky cheeses were made with strains of bacteria banned in China.

China Accused of Flooding Europe with Cheap E-Bikes

Ivana Kottasová
CNN
Imports of Chinese e-bikes to Europe have increased from almost zero in 2010 to an estimated 800,000 in 2017, according to the European Bicycle Manufacturers Association. The industry group has had enough: It filed a complaint with the European...

Greece Blocks E.U. Statement on China Human Rights at U.N.

Robin Emmott, Angeliki Koutantou
Reuters
Greece has blocked a European Union statement at the United Nations criticizing China's human rights record, a decision EU diplomats said undermined efforts to confront Beijing's crackdown on activists and dissidents.

Viewpoint

06.08.17

Can China Really Lead the World on Climate?

Isabel Hilton
On Wednesday, the governor of California, Jerry Brown, found himself, not for the first time, with more in common with Chinese President Xi Jinping than with the president of his own nation, Donald Trump. Just days after President Trump announced...

Conversation

06.01.17

Can China Supplant the U.S. in Europe?

Rogier Creemers, Zha Daojiong & more
From May 31 to June 2, Premier Li Keqiang will visit Germany and Belgium, to “further deepen and enrich China’s relations with the European Union (EU) at a time of increasing global uncertainty,” according to an article in China’s state newswire...

China and Europe Are Moving Forward without Trump

CNN
Beijing is in prime position to capitalize on major policy fissures that have emerged between Europe and the Trump administration on climate, trade and defense. The new dynamic will be on full display on Thursday in Brussels, when Chinese Premier Li...

China’s New Cybersecurity Law Leaves Foreign Firms Guessing

New York Times
As China moves to start enforcing a new cybersecurity law, foreign companies face a major problem: They know very little about it. The law — which was rubber-stamped by the country’s Parliament last year — is part of wide-ranging efforts by Beijing...

What Do Trump’s Views on Europe Mean for China?

Paul Haenle & Tomáš Valášek from Carnegie China
President Trump will travel to Europe in May for his first time since taking office to meet with European Union (E.U.) leaders, attend a NATO meeting, and visit the organization’s headquarters in Brussels. Although he has walked back some of his...

One of China’s Biggest Trade Partners Is Worried Beijing Will Turn to Its ‘Old Toolbox’ of Protectionism

Sophia Yan
CNBC
China’s plan to advance its manufacturing capabilities is drawing criticism from one of its major trade partners.

EU Preparing Early China Summit in Message to Trump: Sources

Robin Emmott and Gabriela Baczynska
Reuters
The European Union is preparing an early summit with China in April or May in Brussels to promote free trade and international cooperation in the face of a more protectionist and inward-looking Washington, three EU officials said.

EU to Phase out China Solar Panel Duties Read

Star Online
The EU said Wednesday it aimed to phase out anti-dumping duties on Chinese solar panel imports after 18 months, ending a bitter dispute with one of its largest trading partners.

Reports

01.01.17

Record Flows and Growing Imbalances

Thilo Hanemann and Mikko Huotari
Mercator Institute for China Studies
Foreign direct investment (FDI) has become an increasingly important part of the E.U.-China economic relationship. European companies have invested hundreds of billions of euros into the Chinese economy since the 1980s, and have made big bets on...

Viewpoint

09.01.16

How to Deal With China’s Human Rights Abuses

Sophie Richardson
When world leaders touch down in early September in the city of Hangzhou for this year’s G20 leaders’ summit, which China will they see? The one of glossy skylines, enviable growth statistics, and perfectly choreographed diplomatic exchanges? Or the...

Uncertainty in China-Europe Relations

Paul Haenle & François Godement from Carnegie China
Economic relations between Europe and China remain highly salient due to the potential for increased trade and investment, as well as future cooperation on projects stemming from the Belt and Road initiative. Yet, in this podcast with Paul Haenle,...

China and South Korea Sound Notes of Caution

Jane Perlez and Chris Buckley
New York Times
The People’s Daily said the British vote could indirectly unsettle China’s economy in the short term but was unlikely to leave deep, lasting damage.

Predictions For Post-Brexit China-UK Business

Klaus E. Meyer
Forbes
We have to look at the motives of Chinese investors in Europe.

The British Brexit Vote Is Awful News for China

Josh Horwitz and Heather Timmons
Quartz
Behind Xi’s opposition to the UK leaving is China’s difficult trade situation with the European Union.

Are European Companies Falling Out of Love With China?

Holly Ellyatt
CNBC
Beijing has left 41 percent of European companies pessimistic and re-evaluating their China operations—including through headcount reduction....

Caixin Media

06.06.16

Uncertain Future for China’s Market Status Bid

It’s been 15 years since China joined the World Trade Organization, and yet China is still waiting for the WTO to grant it market economy status. During this period, some Chinese businesses have expanded overseas while others have been accused of...

China’s Relations with a Strategic Europe

Paul Haenle & Jan Techau from Carnegie China
For many years, China-E.U. relations have been driven singularly by mercantilism, but diplomatic engagement between Beijing and Brussels increasingly features a geopolitical component. In this podcast with Paul Haenle, Carnegie Europe Director Jan...

Viewpoint

03.24.16

German President Joachim Gauck’s Speech at Tongji University in Shanghai

from Der Bundespräsident
On Wednesday, March 23, German President Joachim Gauck addressed an audience of university students in Shanghai. Among many views not typically aired in public in China, Gauck, a former Luterhan minister and anti-communist organizer, told the crowd...

China-EU Relations: Crisis and Opportunity

Shi Zhiqin
Diplomat
The decision to grant China Market Economy Status is a major inflection point in bilateral ties. 

Media

03.01.16

Why China Isn’t Hosting Syrian Refugees

The civil war in Syria, now spanning almost half a decade, and the Islamic State’s territorial advances there have led to the world’s worst refugee crisis in decades. More than 4.7 million Syrians have left their homeland, pouring into neighboring...

China Hopes to See A United EU, Xi Tells Britain on Visit

SARAH YOUNG AND BEN BLANCHARD
Reuters
Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Britain he wants to see a united European Union.

Chinese Firms in Europe: Gone Shopping

James Miles
Economist
Gone shopping More European businesses are coming under Chinese ownership.

U.S. About-Face on AIIB Would be Welcomed

China Daily
US leaders have for years said Asia-Pacific nations do not have to choose between China and the US.

Conversation

03.24.15

What Went Wrong With U.S. Strategy on China’s New Bank and What Should Washington Do Now?

Patrick Chovanec, Zha Daojiong & more
Now that much of Europe has announced its intentions to join the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), was Washington’s initial opposition a mistake? Assuming the AIIB does get off the ground, what might it mean for future...

China on the World Stage: A Bridge Not Far Enough

Economist
China plans a new bank to help match Asia’s vast savings with its even vaster need for infrastructure.

China Gloats as Europeans Rush to Join Asian Bank

Simon Denyer
Washington Post
Xinhua described the U.S. as “petulant and cynical” for declining to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

U.S. Urges Allies to Think Twice Before Joining China-led Bank

Matthias Sobolewski and Jason Lange
Reuters
The move by U.S. allies to participate in Beijing's flagship economic outreach a diplomatic blow to Washington.

Defying U.S., European Allies Say They’ll Join China-Led Bank

Yann Le Guernigou and Ben Blanchard
Reuters
Germany, France and Italy have agreed to join a new China-led Asian investment bank.

China Surpasses EU in Per-Capita Pollution for First Time

Stefan Nicola
Bloomberg
If pollution continues at the current rate, the limit for carbon will be reached in 30 years, the scientists concluded in a report issued on the eve of a United Nations summit designed to step up the fight against climate change.

China Opposes Proposed EU Sanctions Against Russia

Sui-Lee Wee
Reuters
EU proposed sanctions against Russia over accusations Moscow was sending troops into Ukrainian territory, saying the European Union's push to draw up more measures would only complicate the crisis.

U.S. Factories Hit by Shutdown, China Production Rises

Steven C. Johnson and Jonathan Cable
Reuters
Factories in China boosted production this month, but U.S. manufacturing output fell for the first time in four years while the euro zone economy lost momentum, surveys on Thursday showed.