https://www.scmp.com/rss/33706/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com British companies will need to switch their supply chains away from Xinjiang under a new raft of policies announced by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Tuesday, as international actions grow over allegations of human rights violations by China against Uygur Muslims in the region. Addressing parliament, Raab said that evidence existed of forced labour among Muslim Uygurs in Xinjiang; the United Nations has estimated at least 1 million Uygurs, among others, have been held in internment camps. “I... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3117473/britain-introduces-new-policies-end-supply-chain-links-xinjiang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3117473/britain-introduces-new-policies-end-supply-chain-links-xinjiang?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jan 2021 18:05:11 +0000 The EU-China investment deal, tentatively reached just last week, faces a new hurdle as a growing number of European Parliament members expressed concern on Wednesday over the mass arrests of pro-democracy politicians in Hong Kong. “The situation in Hong Kong is followed closely by parliamentarians,” said Bernd Lange, head of the EU parliament’s trade committee, which will be responsible for reviewing the deal later this year. “Concerns about political freedom and human rights have played a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3116713/european-parliament-members-say-hong-kong-arrests-threaten?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3116713/european-parliament-members-say-hong-kong-arrests-threaten?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Jan 2021 20:22:33 +0000 With Germany’s long-time leader Angela Merkel due to step down this year, China will turn its attention to Emmanuel Macron in 2021 as he takes over as the European Union’s interlocutor-in-chief. The latest sign of France’s growing importance in EU-China relations came this week, when Chinese President Xi Jinping sealed a landmark investment pact with the bloc, witnessed by both Merkel and Macron, the French president. Macron took part in the ceremony at the invitation of Merkel, who represented... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3116153/china-eu-ties-all-eyes-macron-merkel-prepares-hand-over-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3116153/china-eu-ties-all-eyes-macron-merkel-prepares-hand-over-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jan 2021 16:30:05 +0000 European Union and Chinese leaders concluded their marathon negotiations for a landmark investment pact on Wednesday, handing Beijing a diplomatic win ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden as US president. Beijing has had to make what the EU called an “unprecedented commitment” to provide commercial certainty and predictability, with wide access for an array of European companies to the hitherto heavily restricted Chinese market. The talks were formally concluded during a video call hosted by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3115892/china-eu-investment-deal-leaders-conclude-marathon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3115892/china-eu-investment-deal-leaders-conclude-marathon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Dec 2020 13:28:24 +0000 An imminent investment treaty will crack open large swathes of the Chinese economy to European firms, but a recent version of the negotiating text suggests that Beijing intends to ensure some important sectors remain off limits. The treaty could be concluded on Wednesday, when China’s President Xi Jinping is due to hold a video conference with European Union (EU) leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country holds the EU... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3115842/china-eu-investment-deal-draft-text-shows-beijing-broadly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3115842/china-eu-investment-deal-draft-text-shows-beijing-broadly?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Dec 2020 08:45:03 +0000 The European Commission has called for sceptics to support its “good and solid” investment deal likely to be reached this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping, boasting success in securing what it calls “an important commitment” from China to make efforts to ratify key international conventions against forced labour. In a memo sent on Tuesday to the European Parliament, seen by the South China Morning Post, the European Commission seeks to galvanise parliament members – many of them sceptical... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3115758/european-commission-seeks-support-its-good-and-solid-investment-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3115758/european-commission-seeks-support-its-good-and-solid-investment-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Dec 2020 17:53:44 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping and top European Union leaders are expected to clear the last remaining hurdles to a landmark investment deal in a phone conversation on Wednesday, the South China Morning Post has learned. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to join the call alongside Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, the presidents of the European Council and Commission, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the preparations. Sources added that French President... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3115700/china-eu-investment-deal-xi-jinping-and-european-leaders-set?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3115700/china-eu-investment-deal-xi-jinping-and-european-leaders-set?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Dec 2020 10:00:13 +0000 China and the European Union could reach a landmark investment deal this week, with the 27 countries in the trade bloc unanimously approving the agreement despite earlier reservations, the South China Morning Post has learned. The deal would give Beijing much-needed diplomatic breathing space as US president-elect Joe Biden prepares to forge stronger ties with European partners to confront growing Chinese assertiveness. Under the deal, European businesses would enjoy a more privileged investment... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3115588/all-eu-member-states-back-china-investment-deal-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3115588/all-eu-member-states-back-china-investment-deal-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Dec 2020 13:13:15 +0000 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has asked leaders of Spain and the Netherlands to back Beijing’s proposed investment deal with the European Union, after a high-level French official threatened to block it over forced-labour concerns. The intensive diplomatic manoeuvring on Wednesday marked Beijing’s drive to secure the deal before Joe Biden is sworn in as US president in four weeks and seeks to coordinate China policy with Europe. Concerns over forced labour remain stumbling block to EU-China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3115186/china-premier-li-keqiang-scrambles-shore-support-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3115186/china-premier-li-keqiang-scrambles-shore-support-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Dec 2020 21:38:56 +0000 The European Union is facing opposition from within – and from US president-elect Joe Biden’s team – just as it tries to push through a controversial investment agreement with China. While EU negotiators make last-ditch efforts to lobby Chinese counterparts before a self-imposed deadline on December 31, critics say the deal does not adequately protect labour rights and leaves out key investment protection mechanisms until further negotiation. Poland became the first EU member state to cast doubt... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3115087/brink-china-eu-investment-deal-eleventh-hour-pressure-comes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3115087/brink-china-eu-investment-deal-eleventh-hour-pressure-comes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Dec 2020 12:00:12 +0000 This is the fifth story in a 15-part series on the Covid-19 disease, one year after it first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan. It explores how people in Europe paid a personal price for a pathogen that initially seemed so far away. Please support us on our mission to bring you quality journalism. Death felt so close to Max Sprick, whose coronavirus test result came as a bit of a surprise in mid-October. After all, millions of his fellow Germans had been told that it would be safe to dine out... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114838/coronavirus-how-new-spectre-haunting-europeans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114838/coronavirus-how-new-spectre-haunting-europeans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Dec 2020 14:30:07 +0000 Although China has offered the European Union multiple concessions in a landmark investment agreement, it has firmly refused to budge on a make-or-break issue: labour rights. EU officials now say Beijing’s refusal to ratify International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards on forced labour will make it politically difficult for the European Parliament – whose endorsement is vital to validate the deal – to vote in its favour. Last week the parliament passed a resolution to condemn Beijing’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114695/xinjiang-forced-labour-concerns-threaten-derail-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114695/xinjiang-forced-labour-concerns-threaten-derail-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Dec 2020 10:00:08 +0000 China’s relationship with the European Union is set to get a much-needed boost as the two sides close in on a long-awaited investment deal, but even that is unlikely to lead to a softening of Brussels’ stance on Beijing, observers say. According to people with knowledge of the talks, the comprehensive investment agreement, which has been seven years in the making, has won widespread but conditional backing from most EU member states. The European Commission (EC), which is in charge of the talks,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114624/china-eu-investment-deal-will-not-be-panacea-troubled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114624/china-eu-investment-deal-will-not-be-panacea-troubled?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Dec 2020 06:00:23 +0000 China is on course to secure a major investment deal with the European Union after a last-minute agreement won widespread but conditional backing from most of the bloc’s member states, according to diplomatic sources. The developments came after the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, made “a political decision in principle” to take the deal, which was seven years in the making, a senior diplomatic source said. An agreement is now widely expected to be reached within this year, in what... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114578/eu-states-course-approve-china-investment-deal-concerns-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114578/eu-states-course-approve-china-investment-deal-concerns-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Dec 2020 14:00:13 +0000 The European Union has agreed “in principle” to an investment agreement with China, a high-level diplomatic source in Brussels told the South China Morning Post on Thursday, in what would be a big win for Beijing in the face of tattered relations with the US. The EU’s two most influential leaders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, are understood to be in agreement for the deal to go ahead, a second source briefed on the negotiation said. Germany, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114414/eu-agrees-principle-investment-agreement-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114414/eu-agrees-principle-investment-agreement-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2020 20:33:38 +0000 The European Parliament will urge European Union leaders to use new sanction powers to punish Xinjiang officials but stop short of invoking any claim of “genocide”, according to a draft resolution seen by the South China Morning Post. The motion’s preparation comes shortly after the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, dodged questions whether he planned to introduce sanctions against those found to have suppressed the Uygur Muslim communities in China’s northwest. Borrell said last week... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3114255/european-parliament-resolution-would-seek-sanctions-chinese-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3114255/european-parliament-resolution-would-seek-sanctions-chinese-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Dec 2020 20:02:38 +0000 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has invited India, South Korea and Australia to the Group of Seven summit meeting next year, as the US and Europe seek to build a wider alliance against China’s growing power. Johnson’s office announced that he had extended the offer to Indian, South Korean and Australian leaders to take part in the meeting, scheduled next year in Britain, “delivering the prime minister’s ambition to work with a group of like-minded democracies to advance shared interests and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114098/britain-invites-india-south-korea-and-australia-g7-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114098/britain-invites-india-south-korea-and-australia-g7-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Dec 2020 18:02:00 +0000 Chinese tech giants, including the video sharing app TikTok, are likely to be subject to the European Union’s new proposal that seeks to rein in US social media, e-commerce and advertising platforms, with potential fines of up to 10 per cent of their annual turnover for breaches. The future of Chinese tech firms – alongside their more popular American counterparts such as Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple – in Europe is shrouded in uncertainty as the EU prepares to unveil its Digital Services... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114070/chinas-tech-firms-stand-new-rules-europe-eu-readies-digital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114070/chinas-tech-firms-stand-new-rules-europe-eu-readies-digital?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Dec 2020 16:05:06 +0000 Britain’s home secretary held her first meeting with Hong Kong activists on Wednesday, including former lawmaker Nathan Law Kwun-chung, as she finalised plans to let a large number of Hongkongers resettle in the UK. The Post understands that Priti Patel held a one-hour meeting in Westminster with the activists, who also included Beatrice Li, whose brother Andy Li was one of 12 people detained by Shenzhen authorities while attempting to flee Hong Kong for Taiwan in August. The meeting came less... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3113263/british-home-secretary-priti-patel-meets-hong-kong-activists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3113263/british-home-secretary-priti-patel-meets-hong-kong-activists?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:47:16 +0000 The European Union and Britain each on Monday ruled out immediate moves to impose sanctions on Chinese officials involved in what they called human rights violations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang – even as the US added new ones. The EU Introduced what it called a “global human rights sanctions regime” – an institutional process that will let it target individuals, entities, states and non-state actors “responsible for, involved in or associated with serious human rights violations and abuses... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3112953/eu-and-britain-decline-now-sanction-chinese-officials-involved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3112953/eu-and-britain-decline-now-sanction-chinese-officials-involved?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Dec 2020 20:49:34 +0000 For now, China is not an immediate military threat on the scale of Russia. But as the Asian nation extends its power, global reach and ambitions, it poses challenges to open and democratic countries. That was the conclusion of a group of independent advisers commissioned by Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg to look at ways to strengthen the transatlantic alliance. The assessment in the “Nato 2030” report reflects a bigger, more hawkish shift in Europe on China over the last year. The shift... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3112764/not-friends-not-enemies-where-now-nato-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3112764/not-friends-not-enemies-where-now-nato-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Dec 2020 14:00:16 +0000 The European Union has proposed a “new green tech alliance” with Joe Biden’s incoming administration, amid mounting calls for Brussels to stop treating Beijing simply as a partner on climate change issues and also regard it as a competitor. The concept was included in a new transatlantic agenda put forth by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, which also proposes China should be the top geopolitical issue to be tackled jointly by Brussels and Washington. As China brands itself as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3112447/climate-change-eu-proposes-green-tech-alliance-biden-team-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3112447/climate-change-eu-proposes-green-tech-alliance-biden-team-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Dec 2020 13:00:13 +0000 In a critical assessment by Nato, China has been portrayed as a potential military threat facing not only the US but also Europe, rendering Beijing a test of Nato’s collective defence system that binds 30 Western countries. Beijing’s repeated promises to rise peacefully into a global superpower were largely ignored in the report outlining the next 10 years of focus for Nato, which is now called upon to “increase capacity to anticipate and react to Chinese activities that undermine allies’... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3112179/nato-report-says-china-could-pose-military-threat-europe-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3112179/nato-report-says-china-could-pose-military-threat-europe-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Dec 2020 20:43:15 +0000 Cooperation between the United States and European Union is “all the more important” in the Indo-Pacific and Africa to counter growing Chinese influence in those areas, according to a new report by the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This comes as the EU is reportedly planning to ask US President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration to seize a “once in a generation” opportunity to forge a new global alliance to meet the “strategic challenge” posed by China. Calls for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3112009/us-and-eu-should-join-forces-check-chinas-influence-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3112009/us-and-eu-should-join-forces-check-chinas-influence-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Nov 2020 19:11:08 +0000 Britain has announced a new partnership with the Japanese telecoms firm NEC following its decision to ban the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies from its 5G network. On Monday, Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said the British operators “must stop installing any Huawei equipment” from September next year — an earlier date than had been expected. The decision is part of Downing Street’s road map for the complete removal of high-risk vendor equipment from the UK’s 5G networks, alongside a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3111855/britain-turns-japanese-telecoms-firm-nec-after-banning-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3111855/britain-turns-japanese-telecoms-firm-nec-after-banning-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Nov 2020 00:00:25 +0000 President Xi Jinping has urged Germany and Europe to “remain open to Chinese companies” and vowed to reach a deal this year giving European businesses greater market access in China. Xi made the remarks during a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday, and as the European Union plans new restrictions on Chinese state-owned giants. It came hours after EU leaders pledged to rebuild the transatlantic alliance in a phone call with US president-elect Joe Biden. “We hope... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3111215/xi-jinping-calls-germany-europe-remain-open-chinese-companies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3111215/xi-jinping-calls-germany-europe-remain-open-chinese-companies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Nov 2020 14:34:36 +0000 China called on the European Union to keep charting its own course on Beijing on Monday as US president-elect Joe Biden reached out to the bloc’s political leaders to build a transatlantic alliance. In a phone call with Josep Borrell, his counterpart in Brussels, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the EU to avoid a new cold war and economic decoupling. The call came on the same day as European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3111138/china-reminds-eu-chart-its-own-course-european-leaders-reach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3111138/china-reminds-eu-chart-its-own-course-european-leaders-reach?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Nov 2020 12:00:14 +0000 The European Union and the US should see the new Asia-Pacific trade pact as a “wake-up call” for joint action against the growing influence of China, according to a senior EU lawmaker. Manfred Weber, group leader of the European People’s Party – the biggest in the European Parliament – also warned Beijing could expect further restrictive measures if a comprehensive investment treaty was not agreed with the EU by the end of this year. “If we look at the new China Pacific trade agreement, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3110349/rcep-wake-call-europe-and-us-unite-against-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3110349/rcep-wake-call-europe-and-us-unite-against-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Nov 2020 08:00:08 +0000 EU leaders are looking to US President-elect Joe Biden to work with Europe to tackle Beijing, with Germany and France calling for unity against countries like China, Russia and Iran. In a rare joint opinion piece, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and his German counterpart Heiko Maas outlined their call in The Washington Post on Monday, less than two weeks after the US election. “With Biden, greater transatlantic unity will be possible with regard to autocrats and countries that seek... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3110272/european-leaders-call-unity-us-against-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3110272/european-leaders-call-unity-us-against-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2020 14:53:19 +0000 French President Emmanuel Macron has brushed aside the need to follow the United States’ approach to China, leaving the visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo focusing largely on counterterrorism during their meeting on Monday. Macron addressed China in a wide-ranging interview in a French publication shortly before the key member of US President Donald Trump’s administration visited France. Macron told Le Grand Continent that Europe and the US “have a different world view” adding: “It is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3110181/french-president-takes-china-rhetoric-table-low-key-meeting-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3110181/french-president-takes-china-rhetoric-table-low-key-meeting-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2020 07:09:08 +0000 The European Union has accused China of dealing a “severe blow” to Hong Kong’s political freedom hours after nearly all pro-democracy lawmakers in the local legislature resigned en masse following the removal of four of their colleagues by Beijing’s decree. In a declaration unanimously approved by all 27 members on Thursday, the EU called for the “immediate reinstatement of the Legislative Council members” as well as the “immediate reversal” of the decisions made by the Beijing and Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3109624/eu-accuses-china-dealing-severe-blow-hong-kong-freedom-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3109624/eu-accuses-china-dealing-severe-blow-hong-kong-freedom-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Nov 2020 13:19:14 +0000 European officials will soon contact the team of US President-elect Joe Biden to work together on China policies, in early signs that a transatlantic alliance is taking shape to tackle Beijing. Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, said on Monday that “we are ready” for a Biden administration to engage the EU on joint action against the challenges posed by Beijing. The call comes just days after Biden claimed victory in the US presidential election, in which the incumbent,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3109237/europe-ready-team-joe-biden-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3109237/europe-ready-team-joe-biden-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Nov 2020 10:00:15 +0000 Joe Biden’s victory in the US presidential election on Saturday has left Britain isolated in the West while grappling with its own future relationship with Washington. The quagmire is less about politics than personalities. A year ago, when Boris Johnson was elected prime minister, Biden’s first reaction was this: “You’re also going to see people saying, ‘My God, Boris Johnson, who is kind of a physical and emotional clone of the president, is able to win.’” That president, of course, was Donald... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3109033/personalities-trump-politics-britains-future-us-under-joe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3109033/personalities-trump-politics-britains-future-us-under-joe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Nov 2020 09:18:47 +0000 US President-elect Joe Biden is widely expected to rebuild a closer relationship with traditional allies in Europe, where officials are keen to forge a common response to the rise of China. In his victory speech, Biden vowed to “make America respected around the world again”, adding: “Tonight, the whole world is watching America. I believe at our best America is a beacon for the globe. And we lead not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.” German officials were... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3108961/us-presidential-election-europe-congratulates-biden-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3108961/us-presidential-election-europe-congratulates-biden-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Nov 2020 07:00:12 +0000 Democrat Joe Biden said he would seek to bridge the widening political divide in the United States and stressed the need for unity, strength and faith in the nation in his first speech as US president-elect. He also made clear that fighting the Covid-19 pandemic would be a priority. “It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again and to make progress. We have to stop treating our opponents, as our enemies. They are not our... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3108945/us-election-2020-joe-biden-calls-healing-unity-first-speech-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3108945/us-election-2020-joe-biden-calls-healing-unity-first-speech-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Nov 2020 03:22:04 +0000 European politicians and citizens looked on with shock and mockery as Donald Trump threatened to stop votes in the United States presidential election from being counted. After years of animosity between Trump’s White House and the European Union, including its biggest economy Germany, there is a sense of concealed excitement among Europeans about possible victory by the Democratic Party challenger, Joe Biden. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was among the highest profile officials from across... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3108826/us-election-hint-schadenfreude-european-union-watches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3108826/us-election-hint-schadenfreude-european-union-watches?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Nov 2020 11:01:00 +0000 As US-China rivalry intensifies, European states have found themselves caught in the middle. The Post looks at how countries on the continent are responding, ranging from anti-China, to China-friendly, and those trying to walk a line between Washington and Beijing. The third in the four-part series looks at Greece. Read part one, on Portugal, here, and part two, on the Czech Republic, here. As Europe was fighting a seemingly unmanageable Covid-19 outbreak in September, Greece’s Prime Minister... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3108258/us-pushes-greece-stop-acting-chinas-dragons-head-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3108258/us-pushes-greece-stop-acting-chinas-dragons-head-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Nov 2020 10:00:21 +0000 As US-China rivalry intensifies, European states have found themselves caught in the middle. The Post looks at how countries on the continent are responding, ranging from anti-China, to China-friendly, and those trying to walk a line between Washington and Beijing. The second in the four-part series looks at the Czech Republic. Read part one, on Portugal, here, and part three, on Greece, here. Czech Republic President Milos Zeman made clear his views on relations with Beijing in a congratulatory... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3108173/czech-republics-relationship-china-its-complicated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3108173/czech-republics-relationship-china-its-complicated?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Nov 2020 05:00:10 +0000 Two high-ranking German officials have called on the United States to work together with Europe in response to China, ahead of the US election next week. The push for a united front on China from the German defence and foreign ministers comes after the launch of a new US-Europe forum to discuss China-related issues, with the first talks to be held next month. It was announced following a phone call between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his EU counterpart Josep Borrell on Friday. European... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3107141/german-politicians-call-us-europe-form-united-front-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3107141/german-politicians-call-us-europe-form-united-front-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Oct 2020 12:00:10 +0000 After experiencing setbacks in the United States, Chinese-owned video sharing app TikTok is also now facing difficulties with its European operations. The company’s plan to set up a European headquarters in Dublin is in doubt, with Irish authorities raising questions about its organisational and reporting structure. The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) said it “remains to be convinced” that TikTok’s Chinese parent company would not be making decisions on behalf of the European office,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3106786/tiktoks-plan-open-european-headquarters-dublin-questioned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3106786/tiktoks-plan-open-european-headquarters-dublin-questioned?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Oct 2020 14:00:11 +0000 The British government is set to create a special class of visa next January for Hong Kong holders of BN(O) passports and their close family members as the first step in a new pathway to earning the right of abode in the country and full British citizenship. There will be no cap on the number of British National (Overseas) passport holders allowed to participate, and applications will open on January 31, 2021, according to a statement issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3106717/britain-announces-new-class-visa-hong-kong-bno-passport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3106717/britain-announces-new-class-visa-hong-kong-bno-passport?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Oct 2020 16:01:36 +0000 Sweden’s ban on Tuesday of Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp from its 5G networks – which has already drawn a strong rebuke from Beijing – did not surprise observers. It is the blunt reference to China as a threat to national security that did. For its part, Beijing seems ready to take retaliatory measures, casting doubt on future business in China for the Sweden-based telecommunications giant Ericsson, Huawei’s nearest rival in 5G technology. According to the Swedish government, the nation’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3106358/banning-huawei-and-zte-sweden-calls-china-national-security-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3106358/banning-huawei-and-zte-sweden-calls-china-national-security-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Oct 2020 20:05:43 +0000 Germany has begun a campaign calling for diversification from China, with Chancellor Angela Merkel and her economics minister suggesting that businesses expand their Asian market. This comes days after Merkel cancelled a meeting with 26 other European Union leaders to discuss future China policies, citing the coronavirus pandemic and the more pressing priority of Brexit. Germany, the biggest economy in the EU, recently launched its Indo-Pacific policy, which officials said was aimed at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3106179/angela-merkel-says-german-companies-should-diversify-asian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3106179/angela-merkel-says-german-companies-should-diversify-asian?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Oct 2020 18:47:21 +0000 Cyprus on Tuesday scrapped a lucrative programme granting citizenship to wealthy investors, in a blow to rich Chinese nationals in search of European Union passports. The Cypriot decision comes amid new allegations that a top state official and a veteran lawmaker were implicated in attempts to bypass strict vetting rules and issue a passport to a fictitious investor with a supposed criminal record. Cyprus government spokesman Kyriakos Koushos said the Cabinet accepted a recommendation by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3105396/cyprus-scraps-golden-passport-scheme-blow-rich-chinese-nationals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3105396/cyprus-scraps-golden-passport-scheme-blow-rich-chinese-nationals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2020 18:27:52 +0000 A senior European Union official has said the bloc will “up our game” with China in the Western Balkans, after it earmarked a €9 billion (US$10.5 billion) fund for the region increasingly seen as a battleground in the EU’s systemic rivalry with Beijing. The latest financial boost by Brussels is aimed in part at countering growing Chinese infrastructure investments in the region, which Brussels said are less than transparent and counterproductive to the goal of these countries to meet good... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3104770/we-need-our-game-against-china-western-balkans-says-eu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3104770/we-need-our-game-against-china-western-balkans-says-eu?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2020 16:41:17 +0000 In a United Nations speech on Tuesday supported by 38 other countries, Germany criticized China’s human rights record and called on the world to accept persecuted Uygur Muslims as refugees. The group of mostly Western countries, represented by Berlin’s ambassador to the United Nations, Christoph Heusgen, also expressed “deep concerns” over the national security law Beijing has imposed in Hong Kong, which allows people to be sent to mainland China for trials. Beijing and its UN allies fired back,... https://www.scmp.com/politics/germany-calls-world-accept-chinas-persecuted-muslims-refugees/article/3104486?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/germany-calls-world-accept-chinas-persecuted-muslims-refugees/article/3104486?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2020 10:36:20 +0000 In a United Nations speech on Tuesday supported by 38 other countries, Germany criticised China’s human rights record and called on the world to accept persecuted Uygur Muslims as refugees. The group of mostly Western countries, represented by Berlin’s ambassador to the United Nations, Christoph Heusgen, also expressed “deep concerns” over the national security law Beijing has imposed in Hong Kong, which allows people to be sent to mainland China for trials. Beijing and its UN allies fired back,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3104448/germany-and-western-allies-call-acceptance-uygurs-refugees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3104448/germany-and-western-allies-call-acceptance-uygurs-refugees?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2020 20:21:52 +0000 As voters in the United States prepare for the presidential election in November, the South China Morning Post is exploring the potential ramifications for China. The latest part of the US election series looks at what a Biden presidency could mean for relations with the European Union. When the European Union’s 27 leaders gather in Berlin to discuss one single subject – China – on November 16, some decisions will be out of their – and the Chinese government’s – hands. Rather, the EU meeting... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3104117/biden-win-could-restore-us-eu-partnership-coordinated-approach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3104117/biden-win-could-restore-us-eu-partnership-coordinated-approach?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2020 14:00:21 +0000 German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that Europe will start limiting Chinese companies’ access to the single market if China does not agree to a major opening up by the end of this year. The European Union on Friday formally agreed to restrict “high-risk” vendors from building next-generation 5G mobile technology, a move that brings the bloc closer to the US, which has been lobbying its allies to exclude Huawei. The EU has toughened its stance on China in recent months as the coronavirus... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3104060/angela-merkel-warns-china-do-more-open-or-risk-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3104060/angela-merkel-warns-china-do-more-open-or-risk-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2020 12:10:54 +0000 Washington has made inroads in persuading European countries to curb China’s 5G technology, with Italy promising to heed to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s concerns about national security, and a Pompeo deputy praising Germany for plans to introduce a tough screening mechanism. Amid strong pressure from Washington, Britain and France have already decided to phase out the use of equipment from Huawei Technologies, dealing a blow to the European game plan for the Chinese telecoms giant. But on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3103756/mike-pompeo-gets-italian-promise-5g-security-doesnt-convince?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3103756/mike-pompeo-gets-italian-promise-5g-security-doesnt-convince?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2020 18:07:18 +0000