https://www.scmp.com/rss/326083/feed 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. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters France has ⁠decided to ban Israel’s far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from French territory, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday, adding that this reflected ‌growing anger among governments around the world over the treatment of an activist flotilla heading to Gaza. “As from today, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from entering French territory,” Barrot wrote on X. “Along with ⁠my Italian counterpart, I am asking the European Union to ‌also take sanctions against Itamar... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354646/israeli-far-right-minister-itamar-ben-gvir-banned-french-territory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354646/israeli-far-right-minister-itamar-ben-gvir-banned-french-territory?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 14:33:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo on Saturday called out companies who seek “dizzying” profits at the cost of environmental pollution, on a visit to an area in Italy known as a hotbed for illegal dumping of toxic waste. On a visit to Acerra, ‌about 220 km (137 miles) south of Rome, the first US pope urged the world to “reject temptations of power and enrichment linked to practices that pollute the land, water, air, and social coexistence”. Leo said he wanted to come to the area near Naples known as the “Land of Fires” –... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354626/pope-leo-urges-end-pollution-criticises-profits-earned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354626/pope-leo-urges-end-pollution-criticises-profits-earned?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 10:08:52 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley An often-overlooked reason stock markets are prone to bouts of irrational exuberance, as is the case now, is that there is too much money chasing too few investment opportunities around the world. Could we be on the cusp of breaking out of this vicious cycle of boom and bust? There are some grounds for optimism on this score. They originate from an unexpected quarter – not from dangerously overpriced equity markets but from more staid bond markets beyond the United States, specifically in Europe... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3354373/can-europe-and-asia-break-grip-us-bond-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3354373/can-europe-and-asia-break-grip-us-bond-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse France’s former prime minister Gabriel Attal said on Friday he would run for president next year when Emmanuel Macron steps down, becoming the second prominent centrist to challenge the far-right. “I can’t take this kind of French politics anymore, where it’s just 50 shades of managing decline,” said the 37-year-old, who was France’s youngest prime minister when he served in 2024. He announced his bid under a blazing sun in the southern village of Mur-de-Barrez – the kind of rural area where... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354577/frances-youngest-pm-attal-run-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354577/frances-youngest-pm-attal-run-president?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 14:27:15 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China overtook the US to become Germany’s top single-country source of foreign direct investment (FDI) last year, a German government report said. There were 228 greenfield and expansion projects from Chinese companies recorded in Germany last year, compared with 206 from the United States, Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), the government’s economic development and foreign trade agency, said in its annual report, which was published on Thursday. The country’s top five foreign investment sources... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354505/its-firms-look-overseas-china-overtakes-us-become-top-foreign-investor-germany?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354505/its-firms-look-overseas-china-overtakes-us-become-top-foreign-investor-germany?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 08:02:50 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Commerce Minister Wang Wentao is expected in Brussels for crunch talks with EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic on June 29 and 30, as trade tensions between the sides threaten to reach fever pitch. Wang’s trip – confirmed by people familiar with the planning – will come on the heels of several top-level debates in the Belgian capital about how the bloc should tackle the perceived threat of an industrial shock to its economy attributed to China’s policies. Next week, the European Commission will hold... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354481/chinas-commerce-chief-wang-wentao-expected-brussels-june-29-and-30-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354481/chinas-commerce-chief-wang-wentao-expected-brussels-june-29-and-30-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 06:04:33 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump surprised Nato allies by pledging to send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned alliance ministers that Washington’s frustration with some of them would still need to be discussed. “The President’s views of, frankly, disappointment at some of our Nato allies and their response to our operations in the Middle East ‌are well documented,” Rubio said on Friday at a gathering of Nato foreign ministers in the Swedish town of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354437/us-send-5000-troops-poland-trump-says-after-earlier-deployment-called?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354437/us-send-5000-troops-poland-trump-says-after-earlier-deployment-called?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 22:57:57 +0000 Daniel Ren,Ann Cao Daniel Ren,Ann Cao Chery Automobile, China’s largest car exporter by deliveries, expects its overseas sales of electric vehicles (EVs) to jump as much as 27 per cent this year, as a global energy crisis spurs demand for battery-powered vehicles. Zhang Guibing, the president of Chery International, said on Wednesday that pure electric and plug-in hybrid models were projected to represent as much as 70 per cent of the carmaker’s total deliveries outside the mainland in 2026. That would equate to roughly 1.05 million... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354280/chinas-chery-sees-its-foreign-ev-sales-topping-1-million-world-wary-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354280/chinas-chery-sees-its-foreign-ev-sales-topping-1-million-world-wary-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 23:00:11 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Germany has been warned that a “China shock” to its trade economy is the biggest driver of its industrial slump, in a new report that urges Berlin to throw its weight behind stronger EU measures against Beijing. Much soul-searching has been under way in Berlin over recent years, with the German government focusing on deregulation in an effort to kick-start a sputtering economy. According to the report from influential think tank the Centre for European Reform, the “China shock is now the most... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354265/phantom-limb-report-blames-china-shock-germanys-industrial-malaise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354265/phantom-limb-report-blames-china-shock-germanys-industrial-malaise?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 12:00:15 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia will require exports of key commodities to pass through a state-appointed enterprise in a sweeping effort to curb revenue leaks, tighten oversight of natural resources and keep more foreign exchange earnings at home. The policy, announced by President Prabowo Subianto in a rare address to parliament on Wednesday, would apply to palm oil, coal and ferroalloys – three major export earners for Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Under the new regulation, producers would have to sell their... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354262/indonesias-prabowo-tightens-state-grip-palm-oil-coal-amid-monopolistic-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354262/indonesias-prabowo-tightens-state-grip-palm-oil-coal-amid-monopolistic-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 11:01:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji For generations of Indian tech workers, the H-1B visa has been a golden ticket, turning ambitious engineers from Hyderabad and Bengaluru into Silicon Valley professionals, as it transformed Indian IT firms into global powerhouses. Now, a Trump administration proposal to sharply raise the minimum salaries required to qualify for the programme threatens to close that door to the United States, redirecting Indian talent towards Europe, Australia, New Zealand and beyond instead. Under the new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354237/trumps-h-1b-visa-squeeze-paves-way-indian-tech-exodus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354237/trumps-h-1b-visa-squeeze-paves-way-indian-tech-exodus?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 10:00:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters The ⁠European Union has shortlisted ⁠tungsten, rare earths and ⁠gallium for its first joint stockpile of critical minerals aimed at reducing its reliance on China, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The EU is also talking to major ports ‌including Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the region’s biggest, to store the minerals, one of the three and a fourth source said. The move marks one of the bloc’s most concrete steps to insulate its economy from Beijing’s production dominance in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354245/eu-picks-tungsten-rare-earths-gallium-first-critical-mineral-stockpile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354245/eu-picks-tungsten-rare-earths-gallium-first-critical-mineral-stockpile?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 09:29:26 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Chinese investment in Europe hit a seven-year high of €16.8 billion (US$19.5 billion) in 2025, driven by a strong rebound in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and record greenfield completions, a new report has found. But the annual study, published on Tuesday by Rhodium Group and the Mercator Institute for China Studies, cautioned that the pipeline may be thinning, with newly announced projects falling under pressure from Beijing’s push to retain industrial capacity at home and Europe’s growing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354235/chinese-investment-europe-surges-7-year-high-despite-rising-trade-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354235/chinese-investment-europe-surges-7-year-high-despite-rising-trade-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 09:04:18 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Products and applications compatible with BeiDou, China’s home-grown navigation system, have captured 58 per cent of the positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) market in countries that have signed up to the Belt and Road Initiative, according to an industry white paper released on Monday, as Beijing leverages the trillion-yuan sector to expand its technological footprint. There were now more than 20 BeiDou-related service centres in countries taking part in the initiative – China’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354103/chinas-beidou-leads-gps-other-rivals-across-belt-and-road-network-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354103/chinas-beidou-leads-gps-other-rivals-across-belt-and-road-network-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 01:00:11 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu With their domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. Not long ago, plans were in motion to build an enormous battery factory in the Belgian countryside. If completed, it would have created an estimated 2,000 jobs... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353994/chinas-firms-have-glaring-weakness-they-face-barrage-eu-probes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353994/chinas-firms-have-glaring-weakness-they-face-barrage-eu-probes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi The global energy crisis may be pushing the balance towards pure electric vehicles (EVs) amid worries about surging petrol bills, but BNP Paribas is cooling down expectations as a lack of charging infrastructure and high insurance costs remain major stumbling blocks. The forecast could dampen investor enthusiasm for Chinese makers of battery EVs, which had surged in the past two months on the back of rising exports. “The infrastructure readiness is not necessarily there” in many countries, said... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3353991/global-growth-evs-faces-hurdles-insurance-charging-gaps-says-bnp-paribas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3353991/global-growth-evs-faces-hurdles-insurance-charging-gaps-says-bnp-paribas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 11:13:08 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s whirlwind visit to the United Arab Emirates on Friday – the opening leg of a five-nation tour that will also take him through the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy – arrived at what analysts characterise as a moment of acute strategic opportunity. With oil prices spiralling amid the fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran and the Middle East’s diplomatic landscape shifting beneath everyone’s feet, Modi brought with him not just diplomatic pleasantries but... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353946/modis-grand-tour-india-links-uae-europe-hedge-global-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353946/modis-grand-tour-india-links-uae-europe-hedge-global-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po will seek to explain Hong Kong’s efforts to combat terrorism funding and work to attract more capital and business to the city during a five-day Europe trip, with the minister noting that stabilising geopolitics will strengthen foreign ties and the economic environment. The finance chief’s coming trip was announced on Sunday, and follows an easing of tensions after US President Donald Trump visited mainland China and news that Russian President Vladimir Putin... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3353864/hong-kongs-paul-chan-heading-europe-so-whats-itinerary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3353864/hong-kongs-paul-chan-heading-europe-so-whats-itinerary?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 07:08:08 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China mounted a legal challenge to the ongoing European Union probe into Nuctech, barring domestic entities or individuals from complying with Brussels’ cross-border investigative demands while condemning its “abuse of unilateral tools” to suppress Chinese enterprises. The Ministry of Justice designated the EU’s actions under its Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) during the probe as an “unjustified extraterritorial jurisdiction measure”, and banned any entity or individual from assisting the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353817/beijing-slams-abuse-unilateral-tools-legal-blockade-against-eu-probe-nuctech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353817/beijing-slams-abuse-unilateral-tools-legal-blockade-against-eu-probe-nuctech?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 10:05:47 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thirty-four European states plus Australia, Costa Rica and the EU said on Friday they would join a future special tribunal for Ukraine to prosecute Russia over its invasion of the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an accord with the Council of Europe last year to create a legal body to prosecute the “crime of aggression” in the invasion Russia launched in February 2022. The Council of Ministers, comprising foreign ministers from the organisation’s 46-member states, in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353763/ukraine-war-36-nations-approve-tribunal-creation-prosecute-russia-over-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353763/ukraine-war-36-nations-approve-tribunal-creation-prosecute-russia-over-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 13:44:54 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Fans of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace all have their own reasons for loving the epic novel. Some read it as a story of personal growth, reflected in Prince Andrei’s spiritual quest. Others favour its portrayal of the Russian aristocracy in the early 19th century. As for myself, the novel punctured the myth of the military genius – not just Napoleon’s. The book’s final section on Tolstoy’s philosophy of history presented the most significant challenge to G.W.F. Hegel – specifically regarding French... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353547/beijing-had-already-won-trump-xi-summit-even-started?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353547/beijing-had-already-won-trump-xi-summit-even-started?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers, from BYD to Leapmotor, are voraciously seeking out manufacturing assets in Europe as the global energy crisis creates surging demand for battery-powered vehicles. Their pursuit of idled European assembly facilities owned by big names like Stellantis and Volkswagen is disrupting the pecking order in the global automotive industry, as the Chinese carmakers’ design and manufacturing heft sees them morph into international players. “China’s EV assemblers are... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353722/chinese-ev-makers-hunt-idled-plants-europe-they-expand-global-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353722/chinese-ev-makers-hunt-idled-plants-europe-they-expand-global-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 09:50:14 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Finland warned the public of drones possibly entering its airspace, for the first time near the capital city Helsinki, in the early hours of Friday. Flights were disrupted at the country’s biggest airport, Helsinki-Vantaa, and about 1.8 million residents of southern Finland were told to remain indoors after overnight Ukrainian strikes on Russia near Finland prompted concern that unmanned aircraft had strayed into the country. The emergency warning was issued at 3.49am local time and authorities... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353703/finland-warns-drone-scare-near-helsinki-fighter-jets-scrambled-flights-diverted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353703/finland-warns-drone-scare-near-helsinki-fighter-jets-scrambled-flights-diverted?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 09:00:53 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji South and Southeast Asian nations may emerge as unexpected clean energy beneficiaries after the Green Party of England and Wales made record-breaking gains in recent UK local council elections, according to analysts. The Greens expanded their footprint in the May 7 council elections, capitalising on widespread voter disillusionment with Britain’s two major parties, Labour and Conservative. It was the party’s best-ever performance in a local election. While Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3353672/greening-uk-politics-could-mean-big-business-asian-renewable-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3353672/greening-uk-politics-could-mean-big-business-asian-renewable-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 06:45:17 +0000 Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the US-Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In the latest instalment of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we explore the intensifying US-China legal arms race. For years, global businesses have been struggling to navigate rising trade tensions between the United... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353567/us-china-trade-war-entering-worrying-new-phase-legal-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353567/us-china-trade-war-entering-worrying-new-phase-legal-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 22:00:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters Labour’s Wes Streeting announced his resignation ⁠as health minister on Thursday, calling for a leadership contest to oust British Prime Minister Keir ⁠Starmer, who has shown no sign he is ready to step down. Disastrous results for the governing Labour Party in last week’s local elections have plunged Britain into its latest crisis, just under two years after Starmer won a large majority on a vow to bring stability and end a decade of political chaos. After days of calls by a growing number of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353599/uk-health-minister-quits-calls-leadership-contest-oust-pm-starmer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353599/uk-health-minister-quits-calls-leadership-contest-oust-pm-starmer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 12:49:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse France’s health minister said on Thursday that 26 people in France identified as close contacts of hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship had tested negative for the illness. Dutch authorities said that all people who arrived in the Netherlands on evacuation flights from the ship this week have also tested negative. Twenty-six people are in hospital isolation in France, including 22 identified as close contacts of a Dutch woman on the MV Hondius that was at the centre of an... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353595/france-netherlands-say-all-hantavirus-contact-cases-negative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353595/france-netherlands-say-all-hantavirus-contact-cases-negative?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 12:27:52 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukrainian ⁠President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former right-hand man was taken into custody on Thursday on money-laundering charges, part of a fight against corruption that is fuelling wartime political tensions. Investigators on Monday had named Andriy Yermak as an official suspect in a sprawling, multi-episode case that has gripped Ukraine for months and stoked anger among a war-battered population at high-level corruption. His arrest represents the deepest authorities have dug into the president’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353586/ukraine-arrests-zelenskys-ex-top-aide-corruption-probe-widens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353586/ukraine-arrests-zelenskys-ex-top-aide-corruption-probe-widens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 11:11:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The European Union will not ban “conversion therapy” targeting LGBTQ people, but will push member states to take action against such practices, it said on Wednesday. So-called conversion “therapies” involve methods that seek to change the sexual orientation or gender identity or expression of members of gay, lesbian, queer and trans people. The EU stopped short of heeding a call by over a million people, who signed a petition last May calling on the 27-country bloc to prohibit such... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353466/eu-wont-ban-lgbtq-conversion-therapy-will-push-states-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353466/eu-wont-ban-lgbtq-conversion-therapy-will-push-states-act?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 13:18:30 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li Some European companies operating in China are shifting more production to the country as part of broader supply chain adjustments in response to the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to a new survey by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China. The flash survey of European companies found that more than a quarter of firms had adjusted their supply chain strategies in China following the Middle East conflict, as higher energy and logistics costs weigh on operations. Six in 10 chemicals and petroleum... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353423/european-firms-china-rethink-supply-chains-iran-war-drives-costs-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353423/european-firms-china-rethink-supply-chains-iran-war-drives-costs-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 10:30:06 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Kandy Wong Sylvia Ma,Kandy Wong US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the US-Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In this story, part of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we explore how the countries’ standing in the world has changed – mostly to China’s benefit – since Trump’s previous trip. When US President Donald Trump unleashed... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353264/after-nearly-9-years-trump-landing-totally-different-china-he-ready?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353264/after-nearly-9-years-trump-landing-totally-different-china-he-ready?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan A senior Chinese diplomat has accused Europe of taking an outdated, inward-looking approach to China, while signalling that Beijing is open to addressing Brussels’ concerns. Li Jian, director general of the Chinese foreign ministry’s Department of European Affairs, delivered his strongly worded speech at a high-level forum on Tuesday. At the conference hosted by the European Union delegation to China in Beijing, officials and experts from both sides shared concerns about economic dependencies,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353319/frogs-well-chinese-diplomat-slams-europes-outdated-approach-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353319/frogs-well-chinese-diplomat-slams-europes-outdated-approach-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Karen Tian Karen Tian German companies in China have grown more optimistic about the country’s economic outlook, even as the Iran war and persistent trade tensions continue to weigh on their operations, according to the German Chamber of Commerce in China. In a survey released on Tuesday, the chamber found that 37 per cent of respondents expected China’s economy to improve over the next six months. That was up 22 percentage points from last year, with only 17 per cent anticipating a deterioration – a sharp reversal... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353294/german-firms-china-more-upbeat-about-economy-despite-iran-war-trade-headwinds-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353294/german-firms-china-more-upbeat-about-economy-despite-iran-war-trade-headwinds-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 11:01:04 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Two national agencies fighting corruption in Ukraine have named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former chief of staff as an official suspect in a major corruption investigation. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced late on Monday that Andriy Yermak is suspected of an alleged 460-million-hryvnia (US$10.5 million) money-laundering scheme. The announcement coincided with, but was not connected to, the end of a three-day... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353287/zelenskys-ex-chief-staff-named-suspect-money-laundering-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353287/zelenskys-ex-chief-staff-named-suspect-money-laundering-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 10:32:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters European governments have rejected a suggestion by Russian President Vladimir Putin that former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could represent them in possible future talks with Moscow on the continent’s security. Putin said on Saturday he believed the war in Ukraine was coming to an end and that he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, with Schroeder as his ‌preferred partner. But European Union foreign ministers, attending a meeting in Brussels on Monday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353225/eu-rejects-putins-idea-role-ex-german-leader-future-security-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353225/eu-rejects-putins-idea-role-ex-german-leader-future-security-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Britain on Monday announced new sanctions targeting Russia’s “information warfare campaigns” over its full-scale Ukraine invasion, alongside those behind the alleged forced deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children. The sanctions package hits 85 people and entities, two-thirds of them related to alleged Russian propaganda operations, including what London said were recent attempts to interfere in coming Armenian elections. Among them were 49 individuals working for the Social Design... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353190/uk-sanctions-85-people-and-entities-over-pro-kremlin-narratives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353190/uk-sanctions-85-people-and-entities-over-pro-kremlin-narratives?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 16:31:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A former Polish justice minister sought in his homeland for alleged abuse of power says he has travelled from Hungary to the US, prompting prosecutors in Poland to say on Monday that they are investigating whether he was assisted in evading liability. Zbigniew Ziobro was a key figure in the government led by the nationalist conservative Law and Justice party that ran Poland between 2015 and 2023. That administration established political control over key judicial institutions by stacking higher... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353176/polands-ex-minister-facing-prosecution-home-travels-hungary-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353176/polands-ex-minister-facing-prosecution-home-travels-hungary-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 12:45:36 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren The pace of electrification on western Europe’s roads is likely to fire up sales of Chinese-developed smart cars, where they could command a 20 per cent share of the regional market in 2028 at the expense of local peers, according to a JPMorgan forecast. Chinese carmakers from BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) builder, to Stallentis-backed Leapmotor, were expected to deliver 2.5 million cars to customers in countries like Germany, Italy, France and the United Kingdom in 2028, a... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353170/chinese-smart-cars-set-control-20-western-european-market-2028-jpmorgan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353170/chinese-smart-cars-set-control-20-western-european-market-2028-jpmorgan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 11:56:52 +0000 Reuters Reuters Keir Starmer ⁠came under renewed pressure on Monday when four ministerial aides stepped down and more than 70 Labour lawmakers publicly called for the British prime minister’s resignation after his appeal for another chance seemingly fell on deaf ears. At an address to the party faithful in London, Starmer had made an impassioned plea to both his party and voters to stick with him and avoid a leadership contest he said would only bring chaos, but his speech appeared to do little to stem the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353163/under-threat-uk-pm-starmer-vows-prove-doubters-wrong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353163/under-threat-uk-pm-starmer-vows-prove-doubters-wrong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 10:45:39 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Does the United States suffer from a “resource curse”? Surely, that’s an absurd question. It’s the kind of problem that affects only low-income and underdeveloped countries run by dictators and authoritarian rulers. The US is, reputedly, the most advanced and biggest economy in the world. So how can that be? If standard economics textbooks are anything to go by, authoritarian China should be much more likely to suffer from such a curse, perhaps due to its near monopoly on rare earths supply.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3353064/path-future-renewables-not-donald-trumps-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3353064/path-future-renewables-not-donald-trumps-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 14:38:58 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi When US President Donald Trump announced that 5,000 US troops would leave Germany, the immediate reading in Western capitals was political: another round in Trump’s running quarrel with European allies, triggered by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s criticism of Washington’s handling of the war with Iran. For Beijing, the more interesting reading is structural. The drawdown coincides with a period in which Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spent much of 2026 cultivating a “partners not rivals”... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s diplomatic balancing act during his visit to China last month marked a sharp contrast with a European Union grappling with geopolitical upheaval and economic stagnation. Sanchez pushed for closer ties with Beijing while raising concerns over a persistent bilateral trade deficit and the Ukraine war, an approach that analysts said could serve as a diplomatic template for Brussels amid its fraying relationship with Washington. According to Wang Hanyi, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353031/could-spains-compliment-sandwich-approach-china-work-eu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353031/could-spains-compliment-sandwich-approach-china-work-eu?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 09:00:05 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China’s flagship civilian aircraft maker is planning to upgrade the cabin capacity of its C919 narrowbody airliner to improve passenger experience and boost the plane’s chances of challenging the Boeing-Airbus duopoly, a source with knowledge of the plans said. Bigger overhead luggage compartments and drip-proof air conditioning outlets are among the design upgrades being sketched out by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). “Comac has realised it must make passengers as... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352901/chinas-comac-looking-upgrade-c919-flying-experience-more-cabin-luggage-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352901/chinas-comac-looking-upgrade-c919-flying-experience-more-cabin-luggage-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Yasuyuki Watanabe has not seen his daughter in more than 15 years. But he is not celebrating the landmark custody reform that Japan has just implemented. Until last month, Japanese law required one parent to hold sole custody of children after a divorce, leaving the other party reliant on informal goodwill or court-encouraged visitation to maintain a relationship with their child. For Watanabe, 54, the result was a system seemingly designed to exclude him, where one parent could disappear from a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352549/divorced-reality-japans-joint-custody-reform-divides-parents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352549/divorced-reality-japans-joint-custody-reform-divides-parents?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 02:00:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that he thought the Ukraine war was coming to an end, remarks that came just hours after he had vowed victory in Ukraine at Moscow’s most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years. “I think that the matter is coming to an end,” Putin told reporters of the Russia-Ukraine war, Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. He also said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe ‌and that his preferred negotiating partner... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353020/putin-says-he-thinks-ukraine-conflict-coming-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353020/putin-says-he-thinks-ukraine-conflict-coming-end?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 19:54:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Hungary’s Peter Magyar took his oath of office on Saturday to become the country’s new prime minister, ending Viktor Orban’s 16 years of autocratic rule. Magyar’s centre-right Tisza party defeated Orban’s nationalist-populist Fidesz in a stunning blow last month, gaining more votes and seats in Parliament than any other party in Hungary’s post-Communist history. The win, which gave Tisza a two-thirds parliamentary majority, will allow it to roll back many of the policies that gave Orban a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353010/hungarys-new-pm-peter-magyar-sworn-ending-viktor-orbans-16-year-rule?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353010/hungarys-new-pm-peter-magyar-sworn-ending-viktor-orbans-16-year-rule?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 14:24:17 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China and France must respect each other’s core interests, particularly the one-China principle, and strengthen a strategic partnership “free from external interference”, top diplomat Wang Yi said during talks with a senior adviser to the French president on Friday. Wang, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, held talks in Beijing with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Wang said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353004/beijing-urges-france-respect-one-china-principle-during-high-level-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353004/beijing-urges-france-respect-one-china-principle-during-high-level-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng The old order is dead. We just don’t know what will replace it. As Henry Kissinger reminded us in his 2014 book World Order, “no truly global order has ever existed”. After US President Donald Trump’s erratic actions, the gloves are off. American comedians and Iranian Lego cartoons tell us all we need to know about the demise of the old order. If the unipolar order is not viable, and America is abandoning the multilateral order and the rules of the game it created after World War II, what are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day ceasefire and a prisoner exchange following US-mediated talks, saying negotiations to end the war were continuing and “we are getting closer and closer every day”. “I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump posted on social media. “The Celebration in Russia is for Victory Day, but likewise in Ukraine,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352962/trump-announces-three-day-ceasefire-between-russia-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352962/trump-announces-three-day-ceasefire-between-russia-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 20:24:39 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Leapmotor, one of China’s strongest-performing electric vehicle (EV) makers this year, has taken a major step towards building cars locally for European customers after agreeing with shareholder Stellantis to add a line at a Spanish plant previously earmarked for Opel. The Hangzhou-based company and Stellantis, owner of Peugeot, Fiat and Jeep, would jointly build Opel’s new fully electric C-sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and B10 models at the Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza, according to a... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3352948/chinese-ev-maker-leapmotor-taps-stellantis-spanish-plant-eu-production?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3352948/chinese-ev-maker-leapmotor-taps-stellantis-spanish-plant-eu-production?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 13:40:59 +0000