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China-EU relations

China-EU relations
Breaking news, analysis and opinion on relations between China and the European Union, covering trade, investment, policy, the Belt and Road Initiative and wider issues such as the US-China trade war and human rights.
A series of summits has thrust Europe’s weakness on global affairs into the spotlight ahead of a bout of engagement with China. Photo: Shutterstock
US-ally trade wars

After Nato chaos, ‘irrelevant’ Europe shambles towards China summit

Muddled plans and pandering to Trump left Europe looking like a much less serious global player, observers say.

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Donald Trump

Ahead of a crunch summit with China, the EU is complaining of ‘stinking fish’

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Ukraine war

EU leaders agree to prolong sanctions on Russia for 6 months

European Union

Exclusive | China has begun issuing rare earth export licences to European firms: EU sources

Development comes as bloc continues push for structural solution to tense issue that has leapt atop bilateral agenda.

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Workers transport soil containing rare earth elements for export at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province. Photo: Reuters
Rare earths

Rare earths ‘THE thing’ for EU agenda planners ahead of China leaders’ summit

Chinese dominance of the global supply has leapfrogged into top place as the main issue in a troubled relationship.

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European Union

Rare earths, Taiwan discussed as Wang Yi meets EU envoys at Polish embassy

Gathering comes ahead of European leaders’ summit in Beijing with President Xi Jinping to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s plug-in hybrid exports spike in wake of EU tariff exemption

Plug-in hybrids are exempt from European Union duties on Chinese electric vehicles. China’s auto giants have been quick to take advantage.

China’s exports of electric vehicles to Europe have surged in recent years, leading the European Union to impose tariffs on Chinese-made EVs in November. Photo: Reuters
European Union

Exclusive | Blacklist to backchannels: inside the European Parliament’s unlikely China reset

Correspondence obtained by the Post reveals President Roberta Metsola’s efforts to normalise ties with Beijing in recent months.

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Ukraine war

Zelensky tells Nato Chinese firms among Russia’s suppliers aiding war on Ukraine

Calling conflict ‘crucial’ to European security, he seeks alliance’s help to ‘break every link that connects Russia with its accomplices’.

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European Union

China decries latest EU trade salvo putting medical devices in the line of fire

Brussels urged to ‘immediately correct its wrongdoings’, while Beijing says it will take measures to defend Chinese enterprises’ interests.

The European Union has excluded Chinese companies from its government-procurement contracts for medical devices worth more than €5 million (US$5.8 million). Photo: Xinhua
China trade

Suez Canal on rails? How this Chinese city wants to revolutionise global trade

The metropolis is already a rail-powered gateway to foreign markets – now, it wants to go one step further.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
European Union

EU foreign policy chief calls for ‘dose of realism’ in China relations

Statement precedes planned meeting with Wang Yi in Beijing and Anhui.

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China trade

China’s shipments of hi-tech goods to EU surge as its exports to US plunge

Post’s analysis of Beijing’s trade data for May shows huge amounts of batteries, laptops, smartphones and solar panels going to the bloc.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | EU and China must abandon petty disputes to rise as global leaders

The coming EU-China summit must show that both sides are willing to genuinely cooperate on global challenges or it shouldn’t be held at all.

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21. Photo: Reuters
China exports

How are Chinese brands boosting their prospects in Europe?

Increased visibility at sports events beloved by Europeans could help Chinese brands appear less threatening, researcher says.

People walk past a Xiaomi store in Beijing in September 2021. Photo: Simon Song
Donald Trump

‘We’re not billiard balls’: how China’s EU charm offensive fell flat

A month out from their leaders’ summit, few are expecting any meaningful improvement in ties between Beijing and Brussels.

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European Union

Chinese and EU trade officials hold talks after von der Leyen outburst

The two sides discussed export controls, market access and Europe’s electric vehicle tariffs, as they strive to get trade talks back on track.

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EVs: Geopolitics

Overcapacity: the economic buzzword fuelling Europe’s clash with China

Some EU officials believe Beijing is trying to distract from what they consider to be serious problems by poking holes in the terminology.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Rare earths

EU chief hits China as relations sour once again

Ursula von der Leyen criticised China over trade and rare earths at a G7 gathering this week, as a positive tone ahead of next month’s summit begins to cool.

Rare earths

‘A new China shock’: von der Leyen revives hard line on Beijing at G7 summit

After months of soft-pedalling, EC chief urges leaders to unite against China’s dominance of rare earths supply chains.

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Human rights in China

In human rights talks, EU warns of ‘deterioration’ of basic freedoms in China

Brussels cites ‘interference’ in Dalai Lama succession plan and jailed Uygur and Tibetan activists as examples of erosion of freedoms.

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The Dalai Lama (centre) arrives at a temple in Dharamsala, India on March 14 to deliver a sermon. The EU has called for the Tibetan spiritual leader’s successor to be selected without “government interference”. Photo: AP
US-China relations

Opinion | Why shutting out Chinese manufacturers is a missed opportunity

It’s a matter of time before Chinese products find their way into the markets anyway – trade barriers achieve very little without industrial policy.

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President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC) Jens Eskelund at a press conference in Beijing, China, on May 8. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China relations

‘Elephants trampling on global trade’: EU sidelined by US-China showdown

Ahead of its own crunch talks, Europe looks for clues in Washington-Beijing engagement that could reshape its global trade ties.

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Huawei

Chinese tech champions boost Europe ties amid US tensions

At VivaTech, the Chinese ambassador to France says Beijing is ready to collaborate with Paris to enhance scientific and technological exchanges.

European Union

Opinion | Why Europe must end its strategic drift by working with China

Whether via bilateral channels or broader coalitions, Europe must craft a China policy that reflects pragmatism and enhances its resilience.

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A visitor looks at pictures during the 2025 Budapest China Tourism and Culture Week in Budapest, Hungary, on May 23. Europe’s engagement with China should be framed not as distance from Washington but as a pursuit of European resilience. Photo: Xinhua
China exports

Not just robots: China’s high-end 3D printers shine at Europe’s top tech fair

Chinese firms optimistic about rising EU demand, as trade war narrows access to US market.

Zhang Zhengwen, the founder of XDM 3D Printing Technology (left) with the Chinese ambassador to France, Deng Li, in the China Pavilion at Paris VivaTech on June 12, 2025. Photo: Xiaofei Xu/SCMP
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s John Lee seeks closer ties in meeting with EU officials

Chief executive says city will remain free port despite growing protectionism globally, as he invites businesses to ‘explore vast array of opportunities’.

US-China trade war

Chinese exports to EU surge, but bloc waiting to see if emergency action needed

Rise in shipments that followed US tariff war may trigger action from Brussels if it deems that threatens European industries.

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