https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/329587/feed Finbarr Bermingham is the Chief Europe Correspondent at SCMP, specialising in geopolitics, geoeconomics and EU-China relations. He has spent the last five years reporting from Brussels and around Europe on rising bilateral tensions, Europe's place in the shifting world order, diplomacy, trade and EU politics. Previously based in Hong Kong for seven years, he covered China’s trade and economy. He has also worked in London and South Korea. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham After convincing China to accept a cap on its hybrid car exports, a stream of top-level European finance and banking officials will descend on the Chinese capital in the coming months on a far trickier mission: persuading Beijing to stop holding down its currency to help save the bloc’s struggling industry. In the week of November 23, top European Union economy officials led by director general Maarten Verwey will sit down in Beijing for a “macroeconomic dialogue” with their Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372373/eu-plans-high-level-china-currency-talks-fears-new-trade-shock-mount https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372373/eu-plans-high-level-china-currency-talks-fears-new-trade-shock-mount Wed, 28 Oct 2026 05:00:07 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Union may hit more Chinese industries with quotas or tariffs before further negotiations with Beijing, the bloc’s trade chief said on Friday, naming plastics as a sector in which investigations are advanced. Maros Sefcovic said that when the bloc needs to move quickly to protect its industries, it will consider safeguards, which allow emergency measures to curb surges in imports, instead of engaging in longer negotiations. “We clearly will have to put it in order, prioritise, and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371962/france-certain-united-front-germany-pushed-china-hybrid-car-deal https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371962/france-certain-united-front-germany-pushed-china-hybrid-car-deal Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:00:20 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Diplomats from the EU’s 27 member states were pressured this week to lift sanctions on Yusha Group, a Chinese textiles manufacturer accused of selling sensitive European technology to Russian buyers. In exchange, Beijing has pledged that the company will refrain from shipping banned items to Russian military-linked buyers. It will also remove German company Sindlhauser Materials from its own export controls list, according to multiple sources familiar with the affair. The unusual quid pro quo –... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371832/eu-mulls-sanctions-reprieve-chinese-fabric-maker-accused-aiding-russia https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371832/eu-mulls-sanctions-reprieve-chinese-fabric-maker-accused-aiding-russia Thu, 22 Oct 2026 20:32:36 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Less than two weeks after Brussels and Beijing struck a surprise deal to avert an escalating trade dispute, their fragile rapprochement has descended into a battle over who blinked first. In Brussels and Berlin, officials are emboldened by what they consider proof that collective EU pressure can force Chinese concessions. Rather than resting on their laurels, they are cooking up a fresh batch of trade restrictions. Beijing, on the other hand, has bristled at the idea that it can be strong-armed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371807/who-blinked-first-fragile-eu-china-trade-peace-sparks-new-war-words https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371807/who-blinked-first-fragile-eu-china-trade-peace-sparks-new-war-words Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:00:18 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Beijing warned Brussels not to “fantasise” that taking a hard line will force it into concessions, as the bloc confirmed plans for a gung-ho new kill switch that will allow Brussels to “immediately” kick China out of the single market. Exactly a week after the two sides struck a surprise deal to restrict the volume of hybrid cars China ships to Europe, the flare-up suggests the threat of a trade war between two of the world’s three biggest economies has far from subsided. “The EU should not... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371217/china-warns-eu-not-fantasise-trade-approach-brussels-confirms-new-kill-switch https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371217/china-warns-eu-not-fantasise-trade-approach-brussels-confirms-new-kill-switch Fri, 16 Oct 2026 22:30:02 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Brussels is open to developing a powerful new trade weapon that could contain a kill switch that would quickly eject Chinese companies from the EU market, the bloc’s national leaders were told during a top-level meeting in the Belgian capital on Thursday. There was broad support among the 27 members for such a tool, first laid out in a French-German joint paper last week, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signalling that her trade team could get to work on developing it,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371061/chinese-chemicals-and-machinery-eu-crosshairs-leaders-back-more-trade-curbs https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371061/chinese-chemicals-and-machinery-eu-crosshairs-leaders-back-more-trade-curbs Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:41:24 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The EU’s surprise deal with China on hybrid cars last week was supposed to ease the pressure on Beijing. Instead, Brussels is preparing to intensify its crackdown on Chinese trade practices, emboldened by the discovery that its threats are finally delivering results. Now, those driving trade policy for the bloc believe they have landed on a two-track formula. Intensive dialogue is seen to have yielded results and will continue. But so too will the European Union’s efforts to counter what they... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370954/emboldened-hybrid-car-deal-europe-coalesces-around-tougher-china-stance https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370954/emboldened-hybrid-car-deal-europe-coalesces-around-tougher-china-stance Thu, 15 Oct 2026 04:46:28 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Leaders of the EU’s 27 member states will instruct Brussels to “urgently” come up with new weapons to counter the imbalances they believe are caused by China’s economic policies, at a meeting in the Belgian capital on Thursday. The instruction – part of a draft statement being negotiated ahead of this week’s European Council summit – comes after the European Union and China reached a surprise deal in Beijing last week that will cap the number of Chinese hybrid cars imported to the bloc at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3370914/eu-leaders-urgently-call-new-trade-weapons-tackle-china-shock https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3370914/eu-leaders-urgently-call-new-trade-weapons-tackle-china-shock Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:45:07 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham,Xiaofei Xu Finbarr Bermingham,Xiaofei Xu Weeks of high-wire negotiations between China and the EU culminated in a surprise trade deal that will, among other measures, impose strict quotas on Chinese hybrid car exports to the bloc and slash Chinese tariffs on a variety of European goods. The deal, unveiled on Friday, takes some of the heat out of searing bilateral trade tensions and temporarily averts the prospect of a bruising trade war – a cooldown augmented by Beijing’s subsequent reduction of value-added tax (VAT) export rebates on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3370623/china-eu-take-breath-after-surprise-deal-brings-temporary-halt-trade-tussle https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3370623/china-eu-take-breath-after-surprise-deal-brings-temporary-halt-trade-tussle Mon, 12 Oct 2026 11:56:34 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Weeks of high-wire negotiations between China and the EU culminated in a surprise trade deal that will, among other measures, impose strict quotas on Chinese hybrid car exports to the bloc and slash Chinese tariffs on a variety of European goods. The deal, unveiled on Friday, takes some of the heat out of searing bilateral trade tensions and temporarily averts the prospect of a bruising trade war. Beijing agreed not to retaliate against Brussels’ move to curb imports of Chinese hybrid cars,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3370613/how-china-and-eu-pressed-pause-trade-war-and-what-it-took-get-there https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3370613/how-china-and-eu-pressed-pause-trade-war-and-what-it-took-get-there Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:33:47 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham In September, the Jaecoo 7 – a budget SUV from China’s Chery Automobile – made headlines when it shifted more than 10,000 units to become Britain’s bestselling car. Christened the “Temu Range Rover” online, a nod to the cheap goods available on the Chinese online marketplace and the luxury 4X4 made by Jaguar Land Rover that it resembles, its success showed British drivers’ new-found taste for cut-price Chinese cars. Overall, 23 per cent of new cars bought in Britain last month were Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370482/eus-china-dilemma-how-counter-beijing-without-alienating-friends https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370482/eus-china-dilemma-how-counter-beijing-without-alienating-friends Sun, 11 Oct 2026 11:00:14 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham,Dewey Sim,Xiaofei Xu Finbarr Bermingham,Dewey Sim,Xiaofei Xu The European Union and China have “reached an understanding” that will cut Chinese hybrid car shipments to the bloc by “more than a half”, in a temporary salve to trade tensions that have threatened to boil over into a full-blown trade war. Speaking after marathon trade talks in Beijing, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said the deal would see China slash its hybrid car exports “by several million cars” over a four-year period. “This is the first time that China has accepted to moderate its exports... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3370385/china-and-eu-reach-understanding-hybrid-vehicles-after-crunch-trade-talks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3370385/china-and-eu-reach-understanding-hybrid-vehicles-after-crunch-trade-talks Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:59:22 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham,Dewey Sim Finbarr Bermingham,Dewey Sim German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is planning to visit China in the coming weeks, even as relations between the two countries sour over trade, according to multiple sources familiar with the arrangement. It will mark the first official visit to China since 2018 for Steinmeier, a former foreign minister whose decade-long tenure as president ends in March next year. The visit will coincide with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s trips to Japan and South Korea this month. When asked about the visit... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370140/german-president-steinmeier-targets-china-trip-berlin-sharpens-trade-stance https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370140/german-president-steinmeier-targets-china-trip-berlin-sharpens-trade-stance Thu, 08 Oct 2026 05:06:24 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Parliament voted for a significantly tougher China position on Wednesday, despite strong and long-standing lobbying from Beijing to tone down its official stance. The chamber backed stronger actions against Beijing, stating it is a “decisive enabler” of Russia, calling for a “continuous [European] naval presence and joint exercises” in and around the Taiwan Strait, and urging swift action to counter Beijing’s industrial policy, which it described as an “existential threat to the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370075/no-more-dumping-no-more-spying-european-parliament-hardens-line-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370075/no-more-dumping-no-more-spying-european-parliament-hardens-line-china Wed, 07 Oct 2026 11:48:55 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Union’s top trade mandarins depart for Beijing on Wednesday for two days of intensive negotiations but expectations in Brussels are measured as to what the talks will deliver. Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s trade chief, will meet his Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, on Thursday and Friday – three months after their last encounter in Brussels, when the Europeans set an October deadline for signs of a rebalancing in the trading relationship. Non-stop working-level talks have proven... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369992/last-chance-saloon-eu-presses-china-sign-prove-trade-talks-can-work https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369992/last-chance-saloon-eu-presses-china-sign-prove-trade-talks-can-work Wed, 07 Oct 2026 05:06:45 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham,Xiaofei Xu Finbarr Bermingham,Xiaofei Xu In the strongest sign yet of a shifting European Union policy on China, the leaders of France and Germany have demanded a new trade weapon that would cut off access to the EU market when third countries cause severe distortions. The tool would effectively act as a kill switch, allowing Brussels to respond rapidly to systemic distortions, potentially immediately. It would grant dramatic new powers to the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, which manages trade policy for the 27-member... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369828/france-germany-call-new-weapon-allowing-immediate-cut-china-eu-market https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369828/france-germany-call-new-weapon-allowing-immediate-cut-china-eu-market Mon, 05 Oct 2026 14:08:31 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham In April last year, Brussels launched an obscure “import surveillance task force” to track the impact of US President Donald Trump’s trade war with China on the EU economy. The bloc was concerned that Chinese shipments bound for the United States would be diverted to Europe at lower prices, imperilling local manufacturers. Eighteen months on, the European Union is on the cusp of its own trade war with China and is repurposing the task force as an early warning system for what it sees as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369477/eu-retools-trump-trade-war-tripwire-china-shipments-surge-alarm https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369477/eu-retools-trump-trade-war-tripwire-china-shipments-surge-alarm Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:20:16 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Brussels and Berlin are steeling themselves for a make-or-break October with China, as the mood towards Beijing hardens in both capitals. The month ahead could help set the course of the increasingly thorny EU-China relationship for years to come, as Europe gears up to present a slew of new tools for countering Beijing’s trade practices, likely to come in December. Before then, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic travels to Beijing on October 8 and 9 for crucial meetings with Chinese Commerce Minister... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369303/eu-weighs-sweeping-new-trade-powers-against-china-make-or-break-october https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369303/eu-weighs-sweeping-new-trade-powers-against-china-make-or-break-october Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:00:14 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham A delegation from the European Commission has been locked in talks with Chinese officials in Beijing, as the sides look to find a diplomatic off-ramp from a looming trade war before an October deadline set by Brussels. The EU team was spearheaded by Denis Redonnet, the bloc’s top trade enforcement officer, who was recently made point person on China trade policy – a recognition that in EU circles, talk of partnership has largely been usurped by rivalry and competition. Later this month, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366067/eu-trade-enforcers-descend-beijing-demanding-china-fix-untenable-imbalances https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366067/eu-trade-enforcers-descend-beijing-demanding-china-fix-untenable-imbalances Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:12:52 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Midway through a three-month negotiating period with Beijing, new data shows the trade balances of 24 European Union member states are still moving in what Brussels considers to be the wrong direction. China extended its trade surplus over all but three EU members in July compared to a year earlier, calculations based on new Chinese customs figures showed. In some instances, the monthly swing was dramatic. China’s surplus with Sweden quadrupled, while for Malta it rose by 166.6 per cent. For... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3364791/chinas-trade-grip-tightens-europe-clock-ticks-towards-october-deadline https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3364791/chinas-trade-grip-tightens-europe-clock-ticks-towards-october-deadline Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham On August 11, a tiny line buried in a lengthy press release from French company Mistral AI spoke volumes about the strategic and technological dilemmas facing the European Union, as the bloc prepares to navigate an autumn period full of geopolitical and trade upheaval. In a bid to roll out “European infrastructure for sovereign AI”, Mistral – Europe’s great hope in the global artificial intelligence race – said it would begin offering other companies’ models, while keeping the service itself... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364745/mistral-paradox-europes-push-tech-sovereignty-relies-chinas-zai https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364745/mistral-paradox-europes-push-tech-sovereignty-relies-chinas-zai Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:30:06 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Beijing has banned Chinese entities from assisting with a European Union investigation into e-commerce giant JD.com under the bloc’s foreign subsidies regulation (FSR). A statement from China’s Ministry of Justice on Wednesday condemned the probe as “undue extraterritorial jurisdiction measures”, ordering that “no organisation or individual may execute or assist in the execution”. In May, the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether JD.com’s proposed takeover of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364599/china-blocks-firms-aiding-eus-jdcom-probe-regulatory-clash-deepens https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364599/china-blocks-firms-aiding-eus-jdcom-probe-regulatory-clash-deepens Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:40:51 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Union’s traditional August break was supposed to provide officials with some respite ahead of a potentially bruising autumn when it will try to set its fiery trade relationship with China on a new course. Instead, a border crisis on its southern flank has created turmoil and division among its 27 members, raising questions over how prepared the bloc is for a dust-up with one of the world’s economic superpowers. “We had a real-time test of what happens when one member state was under... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363438/can-europe-stay-united-china-trade-battle-ceuta-migrant-crisis-offers-warning https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363438/can-europe-stay-united-china-trade-battle-ceuta-migrant-crisis-offers-warning Sun, 09 Aug 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Germans have emerged as some of Europe’s most hawkish voters on China, more likely to consider Beijing as a rival or an adversary than in any other major EU country, a new survey has shown. Published amid a bout of soul-searching in Berlin over whether to back a tougher approach towards China on trade, the findings suggest that the country’s citizens might not be opposed to such a shift. A combined 49 per cent of German people polled considered China to be primarily a rival or an adversary, way... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363227/germans-emerge-europes-biggest-china-hawks-economic-pain-begins-bite https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363227/germans-emerge-europes-biggest-china-hawks-economic-pain-begins-bite Fri, 07 Aug 2026 02:00:21 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, is expected to travel to China in the autumn for her first face-to-face meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi since a bruising encounter in Brussels last summer, according to multiple people familiar with the planning. It would also mark Kallas’ first solo trip to Beijing since taking on her role in 2024. The trip – with a date yet to be confirmed – would revolve around the bilateral “strategic dialogue”, a mostly annual format in which... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362592/top-eu-diplomat-kallas-expected-visit-beijing-autumn-amid-deepest-strains-years https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362592/top-eu-diplomat-kallas-expected-visit-beijing-autumn-amid-deepest-strains-years Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:00:13 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Last Thursday, the European Union added 14 Chinese companies to its latest round of sanctions, accusing them of providing support for Russia’s war against Ukraine – but few of the names were recognisable to anyone outside narrow trading and compliance circles. Officials were taken aback less than 24 hours later, when Beijing – which had been notified of the ragtag group of traders and freight forwarders to be listed by the EU as far back as June – fired back ferociously. Unlike the long notice... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362502/eu-china-trade-war-beijing-turns-screws-brussels-tests-limits-restraint https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362502/eu-china-trade-war-beijing-turns-screws-brussels-tests-limits-restraint Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The EU has watered down its latest round of sanctions on Moscow after concluding that banning Greek companies from transporting Russian gas to third countries could hand strategically important shipping assets to China. To remove a Greek veto against the 21st package of measures aimed at hobbling Russia’s war machine, the bloc’s member states agreed to allow EU operators to continue transporting Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to third countries for one year. Officials explained that China’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361643/eu-waters-down-russia-sanctions-over-fears-china-could-seize-key-lng-assets https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361643/eu-waters-down-russia-sanctions-over-fears-china-could-seize-key-lng-assets Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:56:19 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham As trade tensions with China reach boiling point, EU officials are ramping up engagement with Beijing in search of an off-ramp. Quietly behind the scenes, though, Europe is preparing for a trade war. In Brussels, a steely determination has set in to ensure the bloc’s manufacturing heartlands are not deindustrialised by the “China Shock 2.0”. With some industries already haemorrhaging jobs, the EU’s resilience-building and de-risking plans are now laced with deterrents as Brussels looks to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361174/can-europe-win-trade-war-china-it-may-depend-how-victory-defined https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361174/can-europe-win-trade-war-china-it-may-depend-how-victory-defined Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:00:18 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Union has accused China – along with Russia – of trying to “reshape the global order in line with their interests” and “fostering a return to a sphere-of-influence logic”, in an explosive new position paper that contains some of the bloc’s strongest ever official criticism of Beijing. The paper, which was adopted by the EU’s 27 foreign ministers on Monday without any announcement, accuses Beijing of being both a “key enabler” and “crucial enabler” of Russia’s war on Ukraine,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360723/eu-accuses-china-seeking-reshape-global-order-stark-new-strategy-paper https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360723/eu-accuses-china-seeking-reshape-global-order-stark-new-strategy-paper Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:46:00 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Union is prepared to introduce emergency measures to combat China’s extraordinary export surge as new figures showed the trade gap had widened dramatically, its top trade enforcer said on Tuesday. Safeguard measures that permit tariffs and quotas to be enforced to combat sudden import surges may “become legitimate on a case-by-case basis”, Denis Redonnet told the European Parliament’s trade committee. Redonnet, the EU’s deputy director general for trade, added that the bloc had... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360556/eu-signals-emergency-import-curbs-after-dramatic-surge-chinese-trade-gap https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360556/eu-signals-emergency-import-curbs-after-dramatic-surge-chinese-trade-gap Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:47:54 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham In a public park a stone’s throw from the European Commission buildings in Brussels late last month, beer flowed, meat grilled and country music blared as revellers marked the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The fallout from the event, however, provided signs – if they were needed – that all is not well in America’s relations with its erstwhile European allies. Just three of the EU’s 27 commissioners and none of its leaders showed up, while authorities were reportedly... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359614/us-250-has-europe-learned-survive-trumps-america https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359614/us-250-has-europe-learned-survive-trumps-america Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:30:06 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham China told the European Union that it is open to exploring ways to cut its massive trade surplus with the bloc during talks in Brussels this week, according to multiple people briefed on the discussion. Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao signalled to EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic that China was willing to consider purchase agreements covering European goods. The discussions touched on lowering tariffs on EU-made goods, in a rare sign that China recognises that its billion-euro a day trade... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3359222/china-signals-openness-reducing-gaping-eu-trade-surplus-brussels-toughens-stance https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3359222/china-signals-openness-reducing-gaping-eu-trade-surplus-brussels-toughens-stance Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:01:19 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi kicks off a rare tour of Europe’s Nordic countries on Thursday, as Beijing tests whether it can use shifting geopolitical sands to find openings among some of the bloc’s most China-critical governments. The veteran diplomat will be in Denmark on Thursday and Friday for a series of meetings with Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and a personal audience with King Frederik. In Stockholm he will meet Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Foreign Minister... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359124/chinas-wang-yi-test-whether-transatlantic-turmoil-can-soften-europes-nordic-hawks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359124/chinas-wang-yi-test-whether-transatlantic-turmoil-can-soften-europes-nordic-hawks Thu, 02 Jul 2026 05:13:21 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham In a bid to cool searing trade tensions, the European Union and China have launched a new ministerial-level platform for solving grievances, with Brussels insisting that disputes over trade imbalances, export controls and intellectual property must deliver “tangible results” by October. On Monday, in the middle of marathon talks in the Belgian capital, the sides issued a rare joint statement, in which they announced four initial workstreams, focused on trade and investment balancing, export... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358808/eu-sets-october-deadline-tangible-results-china-imbalances-after-key-trade-talks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358808/eu-sets-october-deadline-tangible-results-china-imbalances-after-key-trade-talks Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:12:07 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham European Union leaders had a week to bask in their rare, relatively united stance on China policy before news broke to remind them of the urgency of their task: German car giant Volkswagen was reportedly planning up to 100,000 job cuts in the face of cutthroat Chinese competition. Seven days previously at a European Council summit in Brussels, leaders from the EU’s 27 member states had instructed the European Commission to accelerate its efforts to fight back against what is seen as a damaging... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358660/eu-confronts-china-shock-ahead-pivotal-brussels-trade-talks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358660/eu-confronts-china-shock-ahead-pivotal-brussels-trade-talks Mon, 29 Jun 2026 02:00:23 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signalled a major shift in Berlin’s economic relations with Beijing on Friday, saying the Chinese currency was undervalued by 30 per cent, well above the International Monetary Fund’s estimate of “about 16 per cent”. Speaking in Brussels after a European Council summit, Merz said China was “flooding markets” through the use of “high subsidies”, adding that “subsidising overcapacities” along with a “currency that isn’t convertible freely … is not... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357742/germany-hews-eus-tough-china-line-call-plaza-accord-talks-yuan https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357742/germany-hews-eus-tough-china-line-call-plaza-accord-talks-yuan Fri, 19 Jun 2026 16:32:20 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham European Union national leaders have asked Brussels to come up with new trade instruments to deal with the economic threat posed by China, following a rare summit debate about Beijing late on Thursday night. After a two-hour discussion, the EU’s executive branch was told to engage with China to try to fix the persistent trade problems, according to a Brussels official. But it was also instructed “to develop and eventually complement the toolbox in the area of trade defence and industrial policy... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357652/eu-leaders-ask-brussels-come-new-trade-weapons-counter-china-shock https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357652/eu-leaders-ask-brussels-come-new-trade-weapons-counter-china-shock Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:12:22 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham As national EU leaders meet in Brussels to thrash out a possible new China policy, speculation is high as to where they all stand amid fluid member-state dynamics. In the last part of this three-part series, we look at whether the conventional wisdom will be fundamentally changed in the EU and how the bloc could forge a united front in dealing with China. Over dinner on Thursday, leaders from the European Union’s 27 member states will chew on one of their toughest courses in years: “global... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357388/climate-change-trade-battlelines-drawn-europes-new-china-strategy https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357388/climate-change-trade-battlelines-drawn-europes-new-china-strategy Wed, 17 Jun 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham From free marketeers to long-term interventionists, EU countries of all stripes are converging on the need for urgent action to prevent a Chinese-driven European deindustrialisation ahead of a key summit in Brussels, multiple sources said on Wednesday. A broad coalition of members now support the development of a tough new trade strategy that could involve multiple new instruments and a more rapid-fire, strategic use of existing weapons. One of the tools could be modelled on US President Donald... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357470/europe-rallies-around-tough-new-china-strategy-ahead-key-summit https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357470/europe-rallies-around-tough-new-china-strategy-ahead-key-summit Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:46:12 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Monday that the bloc has verified reports that China’s military has been “training Russian military personnel to fight in Ukraine”, a development that could deepen tensions between the two sides. Kallas, speaking after chairing a meeting of the EU’s 27 foreign ministers in Luxembourg, said that the EU was “carefully assessing the implications” of the assessment, adding that the ministers had agreed to sanction several Chinese entities... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3357208/eu-says-china-trained-russian-troops-bloc-weighs-tougher-stance-beijing https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3357208/eu-says-china-trained-russian-troops-bloc-weighs-tougher-stance-beijing Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:41:47 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham An EU-China dialogue on digital matters has been postponed as tensions between the two sides threaten to boil over. The meeting, initially scheduled for June 23 in Beijing, will no longer take place, with no immediate date set for a follow-up, people familiar with the situation confirmed. The Financial Times reported on Thursday that the talks had been abruptly cancelled by Beijing, along with a second meeting involving a senior EU official, as bilateral ties deteriorate on a near-daily... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356749/have-trade-tensions-scuppered-eu-china-talks-ahead-tough-brussels-decisions https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356749/have-trade-tensions-scuppered-eu-china-talks-ahead-tough-brussels-decisions Thu, 11 Jun 2026 08:58:21 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham A frenzied fortnight of EU policymaking on China kicked off on Tuesday, amid signs that big member states may be willing to take a tougher stance on trade despite huge pressure from Beijing. Beijing’s commerce vice-minister, Ling Ji, was set to meet with new EU trade director Ditte Juul Jorgensen in Brussels and have talks with Chinese businesses in the Belgian capital before heading to forums in Berlin and Dusseldorf. At the same time, EU diplomats began preparations for next week’s blockbuster... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356515/china-debate-reaches-fever-pitch-brussels-eus-crunch-fortnight-kicks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356515/china-debate-reaches-fever-pitch-brussels-eus-crunch-fortnight-kicks Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:00:06 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The EU’s trade chief has confirmed publicly for the first time that the bloc is considering a specific rule to compel companies to diversify their suppliers, as Europe looks to unwind its dependencies on China. “Diversification now requires a dedicated instrument,” Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Friday, adding that he would model it on the manner in which the European Union reduced its reliance on Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “Recent... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356159/eu-needs-dedicated-instrument-unwind-china-dependencies-trade-chief-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356159/eu-needs-dedicated-instrument-unwind-china-dependencies-trade-chief-says Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:10:23 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic will meet China’s international trade envoy, Li Chenggang, in Paris on Thursday, as the sides look to defuse tensions that have pushed them to the brink of a trade war. The officials will meet on the sidelines of an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ministerial meeting, setting the stage for a month of intensified engagement ahead of Commerce Minister Wang Wentao’s visit to Brussels on June 28 and 29, according to people familiar with the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/article/3355859/eu-and-china-set-paris-talks-week-amid-mounting-trade-war-fears https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/article/3355859/eu-and-china-set-paris-talks-week-amid-mounting-trade-war-fears Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:20:43 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Commission agreed on a tough new approach to trade relations with China, at a rare Beijing-focused debate among Brussels’ leadership on Friday. In a presentation, trade chief Maros Sefcovic laid out why the bloc needed to take stronger steps to defend itself from what is described as a new “China shock” to its industries, according to people briefed on the event. This may require developing a new instrument to compel companies in critical sectors to expand both the number and the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355380/brussels-fires-starting-gun-tougher-china-trade-policy-beijing-vows-retaliation https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355380/brussels-fires-starting-gun-tougher-china-trade-policy-beijing-vows-retaliation Fri, 29 May 2026 16:17:23 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Major EU members offered qualified support for the bloc’s flagship industrial plans on Thursday in the first debate over a proposal that has deepened tensions with China. Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Poland all accepted the broad parameters of the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), which would put strict conditions on investments into the union from China and other countries, even as they quibbled over red tape, timescales and how open the plan should be to non-EU... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355208/well-be-museum-eu-heavyweights-back-industrial-accelerator-china-shock-fears-grow https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355208/well-be-museum-eu-heavyweights-back-industrial-accelerator-china-shock-fears-grow Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:53 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham European Commission leaders are preparing to harden the EU’s economic stance towards China at a pivotal debate on Friday, opening the door to a new wave of trade and industrial measures later this year. Sources indicated that a majority – though not all – of the 27 commissioners, including President Ursula von der Leyen, are supportive of a more robust trade and industrial policy, amid rising fears of de-industrialisation, in what is now widely described in Brussels as the “China shock... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355120/european-leaders-get-ready-act-now-amid-rising-fears-china-shock-20 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355120/european-leaders-get-ready-act-now-amid-rising-fears-china-shock-20 Thu, 28 May 2026 05:00:06 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham A coalition of major EU member states is pushing Brussels towards a much tougher trade regime aimed at combating Chinese-style industrial overcapacity, including faster emergency tariffs, broader safeguards and new anti-circumvention powers. A paper signed by Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France and Lithuania days before a major China-focused debate in Brussels said the bloc must respond more aggressively to “systemic and structural industrial overcapacity” – phrases often taken as shorthand... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354714/major-eu-countries-push-tougher-china-policy-ahead-brussels-debate https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354714/major-eu-countries-push-tougher-china-policy-ahead-brussels-debate Mon, 25 May 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Commerce Minister Wang Wentao is expected in Brussels for crunch talks with EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic on June 29 and 30, as trade tensions between the sides threaten to reach fever pitch. Wang’s trip – confirmed by people familiar with the planning – will come on the heels of several top-level debates in the Belgian capital about how the bloc should tackle the perceived threat of an industrial shock to its economy attributed to China’s policies. Next week, the European Commission will hold... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354481/chinas-commerce-chief-wang-wentao-expected-brussels-june-29-and-30-sources https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354481/chinas-commerce-chief-wang-wentao-expected-brussels-june-29-and-30-sources Fri, 22 May 2026 06:04:33 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Germany has been warned that a “China shock” to its trade economy is the biggest driver of its industrial slump, in a new report that urges Berlin to throw its weight behind stronger EU measures against Beijing. Much soul-searching has been under way in Berlin over recent years, with the German government focusing on deregulation in an effort to kick-start a sputtering economy. According to the report from influential think tank the Centre for European Reform, the “China shock is now the most... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354265/phantom-limb-report-blames-china-shock-germanys-industrial-malaise https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354265/phantom-limb-report-blames-china-shock-germanys-industrial-malaise Wed, 20 May 2026 12:00:15 +0000