https://www.scmp.com/rss/523832/feed The latest news and top stories on the Institut Jacques Delors. A Paris-based European think tank, the Institut Jacques Delors is dedicated to promoting reflection on the European project, fostering integration and disseminating European values. Its main areas of focus include producing expert analyses and policy proposals on European affairs, covering economics, climate and geopolitics. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu As the world held its breath over the fate of the Middle East this week, France has been gripped by a very different story: a scandal over a chewy rubber giraffe. Sophie la Girafe, the country’s national toy, has long been a symbol of “made in France” craftsmanship, sold as a gift to newborns across the country. But this week, it was revealed the beloved toy has secretly been manufactured in China for the past decade. Vulli, the company behind the toy, quietly began moving production to China as... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352872/fury-france-national-toy-revealed-be-secretly-made-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352872/fury-france-national-toy-revealed-be-secretly-made-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 07:56:14 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Almost 80 per cent of the Chinese companies operating in the European Union plan to expand their investment there, even though most complain about policy uncertainty, according to a report published on Tuesday by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) and the China Economic Information Service. The result stands in sharp contrast to similar reports published by the European Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC) – despite companies from both sides complaining about obstacles such as... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347861/amid-struggles-home-80-chinese-companies-eu-plan-more-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347861/amid-struggles-home-80-chinese-companies-eu-plan-more-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 09:02:48 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Trade talks between China and the United States in Paris this weekend are likely to focus on setting the scene for the Beijing summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump later this month, analysts said, downplaying the prospects of any significant breakthroughs. Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are expected to discuss potential deals on tariffs, investment, and trade in soybeans and rare earths, which would be presented as deliverables for the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346505/us-china-trade-talks-what-expect-senior-officials-meet-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346505/us-china-trade-talks-what-expect-senior-officials-meet-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Europe woke to a fresh surge in energy prices on Monday as the escalating war in the Middle East disrupted oil shipments and natural gas production in one of the world’s most critical energy-producing regions. The continent’s benchmark natural gas price, the Dutch TTF, rose by more than 40 per cent at one point amid mounting reports of supply disruptions following American and Israeli attacks on Iran and Iranian retaliation against regional targets. Qatar’s state-owned QatarEnergy said it had... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345229/europe-counts-cost-iran-war-disrupts-energy-shipments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345229/europe-counts-cost-iran-war-disrupts-energy-shipments?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:00:12 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu As political and business leaders gather in the Swiss town of Davos for this year’s World Economic Forum, scheduled to begin on Monday, analysts expect China to continue positioning itself as a reliable trade partner and supporter of multilateralism – stances drawing an implicit contrast with the United States under President Donald Trump. This year’s meeting, themed “A Spirit of Dialogue”, will take place amid heightened global tensions in the wake of several controversial actions by Trump’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3340298/china-readies-davos-sales-pitch-us-grants-beijing-window-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3340298/china-readies-davos-sales-pitch-us-grants-beijing-window-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Kandy Wong Xiaofei Xu,Kandy Wong Near the end of last year, thousands of European travellers saw their holiday plans unravel after a prolonged power outage in the Eurotunnel – the underwater train passage linking Britain and France – caused by a fault in the overhead supply. For many, this brought back memories of chaotic scenes the previous April, when rolling blackouts struck much of Portugal and Spain. The United States also suffered from multiple power outages last year, including major disruptions in California – most... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339668/ai-boom-needs-electricity-western-grids-are-strained-power-chinas-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339668/ai-boom-needs-electricity-western-grids-are-strained-power-chinas-power?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:01:07 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China will cut export subsidies for solar panels and batteries in the coming months, a move mainly aimed at curbing domestic overcompetition and consolidating two sectors where China is dominant, said analysts who also expect it will help ease trade tensions with Europe. Authorities will cancel export value-added tax rebates for solar panels and lower rebates for batteries from 9 per cent to 6 per cent from April 1. The rebates for batteries will be cancelled on January 1, 2027, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339430/goodwill-or-necessity-why-china-slashing-solar-and-battery-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339430/goodwill-or-necessity-why-china-slashing-solar-and-battery-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 09:13:00 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Emmanuel Macron has warned Beijing that Europe would be forced to retaliate with “strong measures” against Chinese goods – including punitive tariffs modelled after US policy – if a trade imbalance between the two sides remains unaddressed well into 2026. Back in Paris, fresh from a diplomatic visit to China that ended on Friday, the French president told business newspaper Les Echos that China was “effectively killing their own customers” by running unsustainable surpluses while curbing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335620/macrons-trade-ultimatum-china-goes-private-public-fix-surplus-or-face-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335620/macrons-trade-ultimatum-china-goes-private-public-fix-surplus-or-face-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:00:33 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Chinese companies to invest in France and transfer know-how in emerging sectors like batteries, electric vehicles (EVs) and solar panels – highlighting growing concerns over the widening technological gap between the two countries. “We want to welcome more Chinese investment through projects and re-industrialisation strategies, and this is what will allow us to break the cycle we’re currently in,” he said on Thursday in Beijing, where he attended a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335217/macron-urges-chinese-firms-invest-france-eu-tech-gap-widens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335217/macron-urges-chinese-firms-invest-france-eu-tech-gap-widens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:00:15 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu The saga of Netherlands-based and Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia, caught up in broader geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, is rekindling a debate about foreign investment in Europe and is likely to lead to further scrutiny by EU countries on future Chinese investments in the bloc, according to analysts. After The Hague seized control of Nexperia from its Chinese owners on September 30, citing national security concerns and invoking a law that had been sitting idle since... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3331611/nexperia-fallout-dutch-chinese-chip-debacle-reignites-eu-debate-over-foreign-investments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3331611/nexperia-fallout-dutch-chinese-chip-debacle-reignites-eu-debate-over-foreign-investments?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 08:17:35 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu This week’s collapse of the French government – featuring the resignation of a prime minister after only 27 days in office – marks the latest twist in a protracted political crisis threatening to bring the powerful European economy to a halt as it grapples with unpopular budget measures, a deepening debt burden and stiff competition from the US and China. Former prime minister Sebastien Lecornu – now acting in a caretaker capacity after his Monday resignation set a modern record for briefness of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327974/crisis-stricken-france-weighs-work-life-balance-against-overseas-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327974/crisis-stricken-france-weighs-work-life-balance-against-overseas-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Images of burning barricades were shown side by side with the handover ceremony for France’s new prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, on French television channels on Wednesday as “block everything” protests brought back memories of the rallies by the populist “yellow vest” movement that rocked the country in 2018 and 2019. More than 175,000 protesters hit the streets across France on the day of Lecornu’s inauguration, according to the country’s interior ministry. Its government collapsed on... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325192/french-protests-underscore-deep-concerns-over-slow-decline-amid-us-china-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325192/french-protests-underscore-deep-concerns-over-slow-decline-amid-us-china-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 09:00:05 +0000