https://www.scmp.com/rss/522373/feed European Parliament: A prominent, directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union, the European Parliament (EP) is headquartered across Strasbourg, Brussels, and Luxembourg. Representing EU citizens, its primary mission is to safeguard the European way of life and strengthen democracy. The EP is a key legislative body, co-deciding on EU laws, international agreements, and the budget alongside the Council. It also exercises crucial supervisory functions, including electing and... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham To European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the ribbon of rail snaking from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia across Angola to the Atlantic port of Lobito is “more than just infrastructure”. The Lobito Corridor rail upgrade is a flagship project of the EU’s €300 billion (US$346 billion) infrastructure drive, Global Gateway, launched to great fanfare in 2021 as a rival to Beijing’s own Belt and Road Initiative. It is also pivotal to the EU’s efforts to wean itself off... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348330/eus-flagship-africa-project-under-fire-over-ties-chinese-state-owned-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348330/eus-flagship-africa-project-under-fire-over-ties-chinese-state-owned-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signalled support for a European Union-China trade deal, as rising tensions with the United States complicate Europe’s response to a growing flood of low-cost Chinese imports. Merz told German lawmakers on Wednesday he could envisage an agreement with China in “the longer term” among other trade accords. “We now need strategic partnerships around the world in order to strengthen ourselves, especially our exports,” he said. The comments highlight an emerging split... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348115/merz-floats-eu-china-deal-trumps-new-beijing-date-european-lawmakers-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348115/merz-floats-eu-china-deal-trumps-new-beijing-date-european-lawmakers-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:01:16 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham After eight years in the deep freeze, the European Parliament is sending an official delegation to China next week in the clearest sign yet that Beijing’s targeted lobbying blitz of its members is paying off. Seven members from the parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) will travel to Beijing and Shanghai alongside Engin Eroglu, head of its China delegation. They will meet officials, customs and port authorities, lawmakers and companies, including Shein and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348098/european-parliament-heads-china-after-8-years-members-say-its-no-sign-giving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348098/european-parliament-heads-china-after-8-years-members-say-its-no-sign-giving?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 05:55:21 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham As the war in Iran tips the global order further into chaos, a potentially existential rupture on whether international rules still matter is threatening to tear Europe apart. Over the course of Monday and Tuesday, leaders of the European Union’s institutions – considered among the most legalistic political structures on the planet – clashed publicly over whether the bloc should still be bound by global norms. This followed more than a week of messy sparring among national political leaders from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346188/might-makes-right-rules-based-order-trial-europe-iran-war-deepens-divide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346188/might-makes-right-rules-based-order-trial-europe-iran-war-deepens-divide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 05:59:24 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The EU must decide whether the rules-based international order “is more a help or a hindrance to our credibility as a geopolitical actor”, the bloc’s top official said on Monday, in the strongest sign yet that it might break from decades of rigid adherence to global norms. In a speech to the European Union’s ambassadors, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her most forceful rhetoric to date to call time on the old system, urging the diplomats to quickly update their thinking... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345980/get-realpolitik-von-der-leyen-questions-europes-faith-rules-based-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345980/get-realpolitik-von-der-leyen-questions-europes-faith-rules-based-order?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:27:49 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters A Hong Kong court sentenced former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to 20 years in prison on Monday for violating the national security law, closing a chapter on what has become a geopolitical flashpoint between China and the West. In a hearing that lasted less than 10 minutes at West Kowloon Court, three High Court judges handed down penalties to Lai, six senior executives of his Apple Daily tabloid-style newspaper, three companies associated with the now-defunct outlet and two activists. Lai,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3342862/hong-kongs-jimmy-lai-faces-sentencing-national-security-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3342862/hong-kongs-jimmy-lai-faces-sentencing-national-security-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 01:45:58 +0000 dpa dpa British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced backlash over his trip to China amid claims that the UK government has been “tricked” by Beijing. Conservative former security minister Tom Tugendhat raised the issue of Chinese sanctions on British parliamentarians after Starmer announced that “all restrictions” had been lifted on current members. Tugendhat, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, Senior Deputy Speaker Nusrat Ghani and Conservative former minister Neil O’Brien were among those... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342158/starmer-faces-backlash-mps-over-china-trip-amid-claims-he-was-tricked-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342158/starmer-faces-backlash-mps-over-china-trip-amid-claims-he-was-tricked-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 20:07:21 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Finbarr Bermingham Xiaofei Xu,Finbarr Bermingham After nearly two decades of efforts, the European Union and India have formally concluded negotiations in New Delhi for a free-trade deal, shoring up the 27-member bloc’s ambitions to diversify trade ties while navigating tariff pressure from Washington and a ballooning deficit with Beijing. The agreement, announced on Tuesday and praised by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen as “the mother of all trade deals”, is poised to reduce or eliminate tariffs on 96.6 per cent of the EU’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341524/historic-eu-india-trade-deal-slash-auto-tariffs-double-blocs-india-exports-2032?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341524/historic-eu-india-trade-deal-slash-auto-tariffs-double-blocs-india-exports-2032?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A branch of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will help with security for the Winter Olympics in Italy, it confirmed on Tuesday, sparking anger and warnings they were not welcome. Reports had been circulating for days that the agency embroiled in an often brutal immigration crackdown in the United States could be involved in US security measures for the February 6-22 Games in northern Italy. In a statement overnight, ICE said: “At the Olympics, ICE’s Homeland Security... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341436/ice-agents-get-security-role-2026-winter-olympics-sparking-outrage-after-deadly-shootings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341436/ice-agents-get-security-role-2026-winter-olympics-sparking-outrage-after-deadly-shootings?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 11:40:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters The European Parliament has put ‍off until next week a decision on whether to resume work on the EU’s trade deal with the United States, which it had suspended in protest against US President Donald Trump’s demands to acquire Greenland and threats of tariffs. The parliament’s trade committee ⁠had been expected to set its position in votes on Monday and Tuesday, and the assembly’s president, Roberta Metsola, said last week discussions could resume soon to get the process back on track. But German... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341310/eu-lawmakers-divided-over-resuming-work-us-trade-deal-after-greenland-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341310/eu-lawmakers-divided-over-resuming-work-us-trade-deal-after-greenland-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:31:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse European Council president Antonio Costa arrived in India on Sunday, as the EU and New Delhi seek to seal a free-trade pact, capping nearly two decades of negotiations between the economic behemoths. Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are chief guests for this year’s Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on Monday before the 16th EU-India summit on Tuesday, where they hope to shake hands on the accord, described as the “mother of all deals”. “The summit will be an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3341165/eu-envoys-top-guests-india-celebration-seal-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3341165/eu-envoys-top-guests-india-celebration-seal-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 11:01:02 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen At the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week, world leaders warned of an increasingly fractured global order and took veiled swipes at the United States. But they held back on directly criticising China, which experts said signalled a recalibration in their approach to Beijing as US President Donald Trump’s political unpredictability left allies on edge. Recent moves by the US president have been widely seen as assaults on the global order, including the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341058/trump-shakes-world-order-western-countries-recalibrate-approach-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341058/trump-shakes-world-order-western-countries-recalibrate-approach-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:00:12 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Beijing and Hong Kong authorities have condemned a resolution strongly backed by the European Parliament to sanction officials and revoke the city’s special trade status to protest against former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s conviction in a national security trial. A spokesman for the foreign ministry’s arm in Hong Kong on Friday expressed “strong condemnation and opposition” while accusing the European Parliament of ignoring facts and distorting the truth. “The European Parliament has... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3340895/eu-parliament-backs-sanctions-against-hong-kong-officials-over-jimmy-lai-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3340895/eu-parliament-backs-sanctions-against-hong-kong-officials-over-jimmy-lai-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:41:49 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro It’s been one year since US President Donald Trump began his second term. Few analysts and investors doubted Trump 2.0 would be more confrontational and disruptive. Still, the ferocity of Trump’s attacks on the rule of law, institutions and US allies have far exceeded the worst fears of his sternest critics. That a supposed ally is using economic coercion to seize the sovereign territory of a fellow member of Nato shows how fast the unthinkable has become real. At the World Economic Forum in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3340784/why-europe-struggles-stand-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3340784/why-europe-struggles-stand-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 08:30:12 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft European lawmakers have renewed their calls for the bloc’s executive arm to revoke Hong Kong’s special trade status, and to sanction the city’s chief executive and officials to protest against the conviction of former media boss Jimmy Lai on national security charges. During the debate in the European Parliament on Thursday, Hong Kong time, some MEPs stressed the importance of the EU taking concrete measures in response to the verdict, following a non-binding motion passed in the wake of an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3340752/european-mps-debate-actions-punish-hong-kong-after-jimmy-lai-conviction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3340752/european-mps-debate-actions-punish-hong-kong-after-jimmy-lai-conviction?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:44:52 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Europe must respond to US threats over Greenland and China’s industrial excesses, or else “passively accept … vassalisation and bloc politics”, French President Emmanuel Macron warned in a speech at Davos on Tuesday. Macron warned of the “brutalisation of the world”, as he urged the use of the EU’s most powerful trade weapon in response to US President Donald Trump’s threat to slap tariffs on European countries who last week sent troops to Greenland. Trump has pledged to make the giant Arctic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340612/brutalisation-world-macron-urges-europe-hit-back-against-trumps-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340612/brutalisation-world-macron-urges-europe-hit-back-against-trumps-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 17:39:06 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan China and the European Union began 2026 with another trade clash. As the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism entered its definitive phase, Brussels tightened compliance and Beijing warned of countermeasures. However, this week, the two sides signalled progress on defusing the electric vehicle dispute; the EU issued guidance to Chinese EV exporters on submitting minimum price plans. The juxtaposition underlines the point: even when one high-profile area shifts from escalation to technical... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339329/can-europe-rebuild-its-strength-trade-china-without-fear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339329/can-europe-rebuild-its-strength-trade-china-without-fear?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said on Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544. Iran had no direct reaction to Trump’s comments, which came after the foreign minister of Oman – long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran – travelled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3339521/european-parliament-chief-urges-iranians-keep-anti-government-rallies-amid-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3339521/european-parliament-chief-urges-iranians-keep-anti-government-rallies-amid-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 22:09:09 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng By any measure, 2025 will be remembered as a tipping point. Violent armed conflict escalated in many areas, notably Ukraine, Israel-Gaza-Iran-Lebanon, Pakistan-India, Thailand-Cambodia, Venezuela, Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar. It was also among the three hottest years on record and one of the most expensive for natural disaster costs. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s tariff wars inflicted trade uncertainty and strategically shifted global supply chains. Technology witnessed massive leaps in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338435/can-europe-survive-its-crippling-paralysis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338435/can-europe-survive-its-crippling-paralysis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham With the end of the year approaching, the European Commission is rapidly ramping up its de-risking efforts through a flurry of broadsides against Chinese firms – even as the bloc’s most powerful member states appear to be moving in different directions on China. Foreign subsidy regulation probes were launched against online retailer Temu and Nuctech, a maker of airport scanning equipment, on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. E-commerce giant Temu saw its Dublin headquarters raided by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3336127/brussels-ramps-china-de-risking-while-france-and-germany-pull-further-apart?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3336127/brussels-ramps-china-de-risking-while-france-and-germany-pull-further-apart?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 17:56:21 +0000 dpa dpa Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla will this week host the German president for a state visit, with the format reverting to normal after royal elements of US President Donald Trump’s stay were restricted to the Windsor estate. Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, former judge Elke Budenbender, will be formally welcomed by Charles and Camilla on an open-air royal dais in the centre of the Berkshire town, before enjoying a carriage ride through the streets, past the crowds, to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334816/uks-king-charles-host-first-state-visit-german-president-27-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334816/uks-king-charles-host-first-state-visit-german-president-27-years?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 17:51:22 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham More than two years after launching its economic security strategy and with the world swept up in economic warfare, the European Union still cannot decide what economic security means. Despite this, under the strain of US tariffs and Chinese export controls, the bloc is preparing to unveil a new “economic security doctrine” in early December, which will provide bureaucrats with a dashboard of all the weapons at its disposal and the levers to pull – even as progress on its 2023 strategy appears... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333883/us-china-rivalry-redefines-economic-warfare-europe-scrambles-its-dictionary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333883/us-china-rivalry-redefines-economic-warfare-europe-scrambles-its-dictionary?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 04:00:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A jar of “carbonara sauce” for sale at the European Parliament in Brussels has whipped up Italian emotions after criticism that it does not contain the right ingredients. Italy’s agriculture minister Francesco Lollobrigida unleashed his ire earlier this week after posting a picture of the offending pot on social media. The minister decried the sauce for containing pancetta – a pork product similar to bacon – which is apparently a major culinary faux pas in food-loving Italy. He said it was an... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333763/carbonara-sauce-eu-parliament-causes-stir-italy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333763/carbonara-sauce-eu-parliament-causes-stir-italy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 18:41:19 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Poor communication between China and the European Union is worsening tensions caused by issues such as trade, Taiwan and rare earths, according to the former president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. “The rhetoric is so high that it is limiting the space to find a solution,” Joerg Wuttke told the Post in an interview in Beijing on Wednesday. “I put blame on both parties that they got where we are and it is going to be very difficult to undo it.” China-EU tensions flared up... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3332637/china-eu-relations-stumble-one-flare-another?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3332637/china-eu-relations-stumble-one-flare-another?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 09:04:19 +0000 Wendy Wu Wendy Wu Brussels and Beijing are both to blame for their strained ties and clear communication is needed to handle sensitive issues like Taiwan and rare earths, according to a veteran business leader and China watcher. Joerg Wuttke, former president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said the 27-member bloc should also redouble efforts to become more resilient. Wuttke – now a partner at consulting firm DGA Albright Stonebridge Group in Washington – also called for a new Manhattan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332567/china-and-europe-need-clear-communication-thorny-issues-fix-ties-observer-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332567/china-and-europe-need-clear-communication-thorny-issues-fix-ties-observer-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 02:00:11 +0000 Phoebe Zhang,William Zheng Phoebe Zhang,William Zheng Beijing was irritated by a rare speech in Brussels by Taiwan’s No 2 leader, Hsiao Bi-khim, but is likely to be measured in its response, according to analysts. On Friday, Hsiao delivered a speech titled “Taiwan: A Trusted Partner in a Volatile World” at an event held by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) inside the European Parliament complex. IPAC comprises members of legislatures from 43 countries and the European Parliament promoting hawkish policies towards Beijing. During her... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332509/beijing-irked-taiwan-no-2s-brussels-speech-measured-response-likely-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332509/beijing-irked-taiwan-no-2s-brussels-speech-measured-response-likely-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:05:07 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Beijing has lodged a protest with the European Union following a surprise speech by Taiwan’s No 2 leader Hsiao Bi-khim at the European Parliament in Brussels on Friday. Organisers said she was the most senior official from Taiwan to have spoken at a foreign legislature in which the island did not have diplomatic recognition. Hsiao spoke at an unofficial conference of lawmakers from around the world who advocate for tougher China policies. She told the gathering that “cross-strait stability is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332008/taiwans-no-2-leader-hsiao-bi-khim-makes-shock-speech-european-parliament?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332008/taiwans-no-2-leader-hsiao-bi-khim-makes-shock-speech-european-parliament?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 18:34:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Peru’s government on Monday announced the country was severing diplomatic relations with Mexico over the asylum claim of former Peruvian prime minister Betssy Chavez, who was under investigation for rebellion. Peruvian Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela told reporters that Mexico’s decision to grant Chavez asylum at its embassy in Peru’s capital, Lima, constituted an “unfriendly act” that added to the existing tensions between the two countries. The office of Peru’s President Jose Jeri in a statement... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3331435/peru-cuts-diplomatic-ties-mexico-over-asylum-claim-former-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3331435/peru-cuts-diplomatic-ties-mexico-over-asylum-claim-former-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 05:35:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse EU chief Ursula von der Leyen survived two confidence votes Thursday in the European Parliament, touting “strong support” from the assembly despite the tensions laid bare by the challenge. The motions of censure against the European Commission president were brought by the hard left and far-right, which accuse her of a lack of transparency and reject her trade policies. Neither motion secured the minimum 361 out of 720 votes. The challenge brought by the far-right Patriots won support from 179... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3328412/eus-von-der-leyen-survives-2-no-confidence-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3328412/eus-von-der-leyen-survives-2-no-confidence-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:25:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Plant-based “steaks” and “veggie burgers” may be on the way out in the European Union after the bloc’s parliament voted on Wednesday to restrict such labels to meat only, in a win for disgruntled farmers. Many of Europe’s livestock farmers see plant-based foods that mimic meat products as potentially misleading for consumers, and a threat to their already troubled sector. Heeding their message, EU lawmakers meeting in Strasbourg, France, backed a proposal to reserve a list of labels including... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3328263/eu-votes-ban-burger-and-steak-labels-plant-based-foods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3328263/eu-votes-ban-burger-and-steak-labels-plant-based-foods?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 12:09:34 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Commission has unveiled sweeping measures to shield the EU’s struggling steel industry from a flood of overcapacity that it says is emanating from China, slashing tariff-free quotas by nearly half and doubling duties on excess shipments to 50 per cent. To take effect, the plan must be approved by the European Parliament and the European Council, which is made up of the bloc’s 27 member states, and would replace an existing system of safeguards due to expire in June 2026. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328153/eyeing-china-eu-unveils-sweeping-measures-shield-its-struggling-steel-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328153/eyeing-china-eu-unveils-sweeping-measures-shield-its-struggling-steel-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 15:15:07 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Takeaways from Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun’s speech at Xiangshan Forum As China hosts its annual defence conference, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Defence Minister Dong Jun outlined the country’s priorities and aims. 2. US Fed cuts rates for first time in 2025 amid pressure from Trump, weaker job outlook The US Federal Reserve has announced that it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3326021/chinese-defence-ministers-speech-us-fed-cuts-rates-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3326021/chinese-defence-ministers-speech-us-fed-cuts-rates-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:15:08 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The first official meeting between the European Parliament and China’s National People’s Congress for seven years is slated for October 16, confirming a continued thaw in relations between the two chambers. The meeting has been in the works for months since the sides moved to lift restrictions on each other, but it was confirmed by the European Conference of Presidents last week, with invitations to be sent from Brussels imminently. Sources familiar with the arrangement said the leadership group... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325952/eu-china-parliaments-aim-hold-their-first-talks-seven-years-october-16?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325952/eu-china-parliaments-aim-hold-their-first-talks-seven-years-october-16?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:29:51 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham If Brussels bureaucrats returning from their long summer breaks this week were wondering what they missed, the local press had them covered. Unbecoming scenes at June’s Nato summit, the “hopelessly one-sided” trade deal with the United States in July, as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s refusal to travel to Belgium for that month’s summit with EU leaders, were all cited by the Brussels media outlet Euractiv. “Now talk of a European moment has given way to fears of a European ‘century of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324446/europes-summer-hell-bleeds-autumn-trump-and-xi-turn-screws?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324446/europes-summer-hell-bleeds-autumn-trump-and-xi-turn-screws?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 06:00:08 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Brilliant. Pivotal. Very well held. That is how some countries described the massive military parade in the heart of the Chinese capital on Wednesday. But these countries are either some of China’s closest neighbours or part of the developing world – a group that Beijing has long sought to influence. Elsewhere, particularly in the West, the reaction was more critical. The parade had a dual effect – it marked 80 years since the end of World War II and showcased China’s growing military might and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324194/reviews-are-chinas-allies-give-top-marks-parade-west-not-won-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324194/reviews-are-chinas-allies-give-top-marks-parade-west-not-won-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 12:00:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Two suspected spies for China, including a former assistant to far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) lawmaker Maximilian Krah, went on trial in the eastern city of Dresden on Tuesday. The German national, who is only named as Jian G, in line with Germany’s strict privacy laws, allegedly worked for Chinese intelligence from 2002, including while working in the office of then-MEP Krah between 2019 and 2024. He is accused of using that position to pass on more than 500 documents, some deemed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320860/china-espionage-trial-germany-exposes-afd-links-and-arms-secrets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320860/china-espionage-trial-germany-exposes-afd-links-and-arms-secrets?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:54:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen comfortably survived a vote of no confidence on Thursday, as an overwhelming number of European Union lawmakers rejected a censure motion against her. The motion contained a mix of allegations against von der Leyen, including text messaging privately with the chief executive of vaccine maker Pfizer during the Covid-19 pandemic, misuse of EU funds and interference in elections in Germany and Romania. The motion was defeated by a 360-175 vote,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3317736/eu-chief-ursula-von-der-leyen-easily-survives-parliament-no-confidence-vote?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3317736/eu-chief-ursula-von-der-leyen-easily-survives-parliament-no-confidence-vote?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 11:02:10 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The stranglehold of political dynasties on Philippine democracy risks deepening public disillusionment and limiting political pluralism, the European Union’s election mission has warned, as it called for sweeping reforms to the country’s “outdated” election code and party-list system. In its final report released on Thursday, the EU Election Observation Mission said political power in the Philippines remained concentrated within a small circle of elite families, even in institutions meant to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316958/philippine-political-dynasties-under-fire-eu-watchers-amid-calls-electoral-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316958/philippine-political-dynasties-under-fire-eu-watchers-amid-calls-electoral-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 02:00:09 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. In a first, Xi will miss Brics in Rio as Li leads China delegation: sources Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend next week’s Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro, marking his first-ever absence from the gathering of leading emerging economies, the Post learned from multiple sources. 2. White House clarifies Trump’s comment on China buying Iranian oil US... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3315820/china-premiers-summer-davos-speech-trump-oil-comment-clarified-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3315820/china-premiers-summer-davos-speech-trump-oil-comment-clarified-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 13:15:08 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China’s Premier Li Qiang took aim at rising protectionism in a thinly veiled swipe at the US and EU as he delivered a keynote speech at “Summer Davos” in Tianjin. “We must oppose decoupling and fragmentation, and avoid politicising or securitising economic and trade issues,” he said at the World Economic Forum event, officially called the Annual Meeting of the New Champions. “No country can grow or prosper alone.” The number of discriminatory trade barriers active worldwide has surged since... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3315768/lis-protectionism-lament-echoes-western-complaints-about-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3315768/lis-protectionism-lament-echoes-western-complaints-about-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 09:00:15 +0000