European Union
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European Union

European Union
European Union
The latest breaking news and stories on the European Union (EU), an economic and political union of 27 member states mainly located in Europe, which accounts for around a sixth of global economic output. Also covering the EU’s relationship with the UK (post Brexit), China and the US, plus commentary and updates on EU legislation, the euro and trade.
The ruling could send Jimmy Lai to jail for life. Photo: AP
Jimmy Lai trial

Jimmy Lai’s conviction in Hong Kong becomes flashpoint between China, West

Western nations unlikely to hit city with more sanctions as they need Beijing’s cooperation to offset unfair US trade practices, experts say.

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Consumer protection in Hong Kong

Hong Kong consumer watchdog finds 1 in 4 face washes fall short on ingredients

Jimmy Lai trial

Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai found guilty on all charges in national security trial

France

French farmers spray manure, block roads over cow ‘mass slaughter’ policy

Farmers in southern France are incensed by the government’s mandatory slaughter of herds to contain ‘lumpy skin disease’.

A tractor sprays liquid manure on the facade of Millau’s local government building during a farmers’ protest in the central France town on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Ukraine war

Zelensky suggests Ukraine could drop Nato goal for security guarantees

The shift, which includes a call for ‘Article 5-like’ guarantees, comes as Washington presses for an end to the four-year Ukraine war.

Ukraine war

Europe fears hidden Russian threat in Trump-backed Ukraine peace plan

Europe worries a US plan for a demilitarised zone in the Donbas region may help Moscow to reinvade Kyiv.

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The Philippines

Asian Angle | Is the new Philippines-Germany defence pact built to last?

Rising anxieties over Beijing and Moscow have united Berlin and Manila in an axis that must now be institutionalised to ensure it endures.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (left) mets his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro Jnr in Manila last year to discuss defence cooperation. Photo: Reuters
Lithuania

Belarus agrees to stop balloon flights into Lithuania amid hybrid attack fears

The incidents have caused over a dozen closures of Vilnius airport in recent months, prompting Lithuania to declare a state of emergency.

Ukraine war

EU indefinitely freezes Russian assets so they can be used to help Ukraine

Hungarian PM Orban, a Putin ally, accused the European Commission, which prepared the decision, ‘of systematically raping European law’.

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China-EU relations

EU fears China’s role in Russia’s war on Ukraine is deepening

Multiple sources confirm increase in Beijing backing before China-Russia ties are discussed by ministers from the EU’s 27 members on Monday.

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Ukrainian recruits rest as they complete basic military training amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photo: 65th Mechanized Brigade of Ukrainian Armed Forces via AP
China-EU relations

EU targets China’s Shein and Temu with new fees on low-value parcels

Tariffs’ impact may be limited given the Chinese e-commerce companies’ extensive warehouse and logistics networks across Europe.

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Both Shein and Temu have multiple distribution centres across Europe. Photo: Alarmy
China's economic recovery

Beijing digs in for trade ‘struggles’, eyes strategy of growth and resilience

Analysts see leadership’s language after central economic work conference as an admission that trade tensions are expected to endure.

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China-EU relations

‘Discriminatory’: Chinese firms protest as EU steps up anti-subsidy probes

Chinese business group warns of a ‘targeted and excessive’ campaign as Brussels raids one firm and launches fresh probe against another.

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Greece

Greek minister takes over as Eurogroup president, marking historic turnaround

Kyriakos Pierrakakis’ election to head Eurogroup underscores Greece’s remarkable economic performance.

Greek Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis. Photo: Reuters
Going Global

Chinese companies expand globally

Chinese firms are investing in overseas factories and marketing to develop global brands. Domestic price wars are pushing more companies to go global – “chuhai” in Chinese – in search of new growth opportunities.

Chinese companies expand globally
US-China relations

Senior Democrat urges Rubio to fill Arctic post and halt rise of China, Russia

In a letter, Raja Krishnamoorthi asks US Secretary of State to restore key US role in ‘one of the world’s most strategically vital regions’.

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Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s government falls amid mass anti-corruption protests

Fresh elections loom after government’s resignation, coming just weeks before the country is set to adopt the euro.

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Ukraine war

Zelensky floats referendum on territory, as US pressure mounts to end war

Ukraine’s president says Russia wants ‘the whole of Donbas’ in return for peace, but Ukrainians must have their say.

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Ukrainian servicemen prepare targets with images depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Reuters
China-EU relations

Brussels ramps up China de-risking while France and Germany pull further apart

Raids, probes and new screening rules collide with widening splits between Paris and Berlin over how tough to be on Beijing.

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Ukraine war

Proposals on territorial concessions by Ukraine sent to Trump: Merz

The German chancellor emphasised Ukrainian consent in peace talks amid diplomatic tensions.

China economy

Opinion | How China is cementing its central role as the architect of green tech

Beyond climate leadership and capacity building, China is rewriting its own energy system – and the global energy order.

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An aerial view of the No 1 booster station of the Ningxia Power Investment Yongli (Zhongwei) 3-megawatt photovoltaic green power project, in Shapotou district, Zhongwei city, Ningxia. It was officially connected to the grid and began power generation on October 25. Photo : Xinhua
China-Germany relations

Editorial | Time for Germany to see reason and improve relations with China

With Trump and his frequently anti-European rhetoric, Berlin should see the writing on the wall and move away from its hardline stance.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi greet each other before their talks in Beijing on December 8. Photo: dpa
China-EU relations

Temu’s EU headquarters raided over Chinese subsidy concerns

The raid comes amid increasing concern within the European Union over cheap imports from China.

India

India-EU trade pact nears finish line despite carbon tax dispute and Russia

Brussels is looking past India’s ties with Moscow to secure a vital economic win, with analysts predicting a deal within months.

Lithuania

Lithuania declares national emergency over balloons from Belarus

The declaration is in response to frequent airspace violations by smuggling balloons that Lithuania calls a ‘hybrid attack’ from Belarus.

Balloons are used to smuggle cigarettes into Lithuania, but officials in Vilnius see their numbers and trajectories as deliberate acts of disruption orchestrated by Belarus. Photo: State Border Guard Service via AP
China trade

‘Toothpaste without China’? EU firms must stop Beijing, US overreliance: report

European Union Chamber of Commerce in China urges companies to “eliminate single-source dependencies”.

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A China-Europe freight train leaves the Xian international port station in Shaanxi province on November 17. Photo: Xinhua
Donald Trump

Trump blasts ‘decaying’ and ‘weak’ Europe, pushes Ukraine on elections

US president doubles down on criticism of key allies over immigration and said that Russia has the ‘upper hand’ in the Ukraine war.

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Donald Trump

Opinion | How to preserve Europe’s liberty in the Trump 2.0 era

If Europe truly values liberty, it must build the means to defend it and start finally seeing the world as it is, not as it remembers it.

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