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European Union

European Union
European Union
The latest breaking news and stories on the European Union (EU), an economic and political union of 27 member states mainly located in Europe, which accounts for around a sixth of global economic output. Also covering the EU’s relationship with the UK (post Brexit), China and the US, plus commentary and updates on EU legislation, the euro and trade.
A Correctional Services Department vehicle carrying Jimmy Lai is escorted by police to the court. Photo: Karma Lo
Jimmy Lai trial

Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai found guilty on all charges in national security trial

Ex-media boss, who has spent years in solitary confinement at his own request, faces ruling on sedition, collusion charges in high-profile security case.

France

French farmers spray manure, block roads over cow ‘mass slaughter’ policy

Ukraine war

Zelensky suggests Ukraine could drop Nato goal for security guarantees

Ukraine war

Europe fears hidden Russian threat in Trump-backed Ukraine peace plan

Europe worries a US plan for a demilitarised zone in the Donbas region may help Moscow to reinvade Kyiv.

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A Ukrainian soldier jumps down from a tank in Kharkiv, Ukraine, last month. Photo: AP
The Philippines

Asian Angle | Is the new Philippines-Germany defence pact built to last?

Rising anxieties over Beijing and Moscow have united Berlin and Manila in an axis that must now be institutionalised to ensure it endures.

Lithuania

Belarus agrees to stop balloon flights into Lithuania amid hybrid attack fears

The incidents have caused over a dozen closures of Vilnius airport in recent months, prompting Lithuania to declare a state of emergency.

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Ukraine war

EU indefinitely freezes Russian assets so they can be used to help Ukraine

Hungarian PM Orban, a Putin ally, accused the European Commission, which prepared the decision, ‘of systematically raping European law’.

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Ukrainians hold placards during a protest demanding the use of the frozen Russian assets in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday. Photo: EPA
China-EU relations

EU fears China’s role in Russia’s war on Ukraine is deepening

Multiple sources confirm increase in Beijing backing before China-Russia ties are discussed by ministers from the EU’s 27 members on Monday.

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China-EU relations

EU targets China’s Shein and Temu with new fees on low-value parcels

Tariffs’ impact may be limited given the Chinese e-commerce companies’ extensive warehouse and logistics networks across Europe.

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China's economic recovery

Beijing digs in for trade ‘struggles’, eyes strategy of growth and resilience

Analysts see leadership’s language after central economic work conference as an admission that trade tensions are expected to endure.

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President Xi Jinping (centre) speaks at the annual central economic work conference in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua
China-EU relations

‘Discriminatory’: Chinese firms protest as EU steps up anti-subsidy probes

Chinese business group warns of a ‘targeted and excessive’ campaign as Brussels raids one firm and launches fresh probe against another.

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A Chinese business group has accused the European Commission of unfairly targeting Chinese companies with anti-subsidy investigations. Photo: AFP
Greece

Greek minister takes over as Eurogroup president, marking historic turnaround

Kyriakos Pierrakakis’ election to head Eurogroup underscores Greece’s remarkable economic performance.

Going Global

Chinese companies expand globally

Chinese firms are investing in overseas factories and marketing to develop global brands. Domestic price wars are pushing more companies to go global – “chuhai” in Chinese – in search of new growth opportunities.

US-China relations

Senior Democrat urges Rubio to fill Arctic post and halt rise of China, Russia

In a letter, Raja Krishnamoorthi asks US Secretary of State to restore key US role in ‘one of the world’s most strategically vital regions’.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has come under increasing pressure to fill the State Department’s vacant post for Arctic affairs to help curb China and Russia’s influence in the region. Photo: Xinhua
Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s government falls amid mass anti-corruption protests

Fresh elections loom after government’s resignation, coming just weeks before the country is set to adopt the euro.

Protesters march during an anti-government rally in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Ukraine war

Zelensky floats referendum on territory, as US pressure mounts to end war

Ukraine’s president says Russia wants ‘the whole of Donbas’ in return for peace, but Ukrainians must have their say.

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China-EU relations

Brussels ramps up China de-risking while France and Germany pull further apart

Raids, probes and new screening rules collide with widening splits between Paris and Berlin over how tough to be on Beijing.

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Ukraine war

Proposals on territorial concessions by Ukraine sent to Trump: Merz

The German chancellor emphasised Ukrainian consent in peace talks amid diplomatic tensions.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during a press briefing in Berlin, Germany on Thursday. Photo: AFP
China economy

Opinion | How China is cementing its central role as the architect of green tech

Beyond climate leadership and capacity building, China is rewriting its own energy system – and the global energy order.

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China-Germany relations

Editorial | Time for Germany to see reason and improve relations with China

With Trump and his frequently anti-European rhetoric, Berlin should see the writing on the wall and move away from its hardline stance.

China-EU relations

Temu’s EU headquarters raided over Chinese subsidy concerns

The raid comes amid increasing concern within the European Union over cheap imports from China.

European retailers say a customs waiver on low-value parcels gives platforms like Temu an unfair advantage. Photo illustration: Reuters
India

India-EU trade pact nears finish line despite carbon tax dispute and Russia

Brussels is looking past India’s ties with Moscow to secure a vital economic win, with analysts predicting a deal within months.

European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic (left) shakes hands with Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in India on Monday. Photo: X/MarosSefcovic
Lithuania

Lithuania declares national emergency over balloons from Belarus

The declaration is in response to frequent airspace violations by smuggling balloons that Lithuania calls a ‘hybrid attack’ from Belarus.

China trade

‘Toothpaste without China’? EU firms must stop Beijing, US overreliance: report

European Union Chamber of Commerce in China urges companies to “eliminate single-source dependencies”.

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Donald Trump

Trump blasts ‘decaying’ and ‘weak’ Europe, pushes Ukraine on elections

US president doubles down on criticism of key allies over immigration and said that Russia has the ‘upper hand’ in the Ukraine war.

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US President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the White House on Monday. Photo: AFP
Donald Trump

Opinion | How to preserve Europe’s liberty in the Trump 2.0 era

If Europe truly values liberty, it must build the means to defend it and start finally seeing the world as it is, not as it remembers it.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Donald Trump

Trump ally Babis returns as Czech PM amid fraud trial and EU concerns

His return raises concerns that his Eurosceptic coalition could restrict aid to Ukraine.

United States

‘A threat to Europe’s political life’: EU reels from new US security strategy

Brussels warns Washington against interference as Trump’s outline accuses Europe of decline and backs far-right movements across the bloc.

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