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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.
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Yuan

Exclusive | Daniel Gros on what China can learn from the euro as it works for a global yuan

Former European economic adviser says Beijing’s bid to build an international currency will hinge on leaders allowing it to fluctuate freely.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Why US-led security alliances in Asia are losing coherence

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Africa

Mali junta in crisis after defence minister is killed and key city ‘captured’

China-EU relations

China warns EU to remove firms and citizens from Russian sanctions list

Commerce ministry said Brussels would ‘bear the consequences’ after 27 mainland and Hong Kong firms were added to the latest blacklist.

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The EU has introduced 20 rounds of sanctions over the war in Ukraine. Photo: Reuters
Ukraine

Ukrainians gather to remember Chernobyl disaster despite Russia’s war

The 1986 disaster shone a spotlight on lax safety standards and government secrecy in what was then the Soviet Union.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Trump’s oil crisis is accelerating the end of the fossil fuel era

Ironically for president ‘drill, baby, drill’, this crisis may prove an irreversible tipping point for clean energy.

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Hungary

Orban won’t take up Hungary parliament seat after loss, wants to lead renewal

The PM’s defeat was hailed by many as proof that the wave of right-wing populism that has swept across the US and Europe has peaked.

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Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban salutes supporters in Budapest on April 12. Photo: AFP
My Take

My Take | New entry system for non-EU residents is chipping away at Europe’s image

Making border control digital should be a natural step. But it has so far led to long queues, delays, confusion and chaos.

China-EU relations

Opinion | Why Spain’s ‘fruit bowl’ diplomacy with China comes up rather empty

Spain is a secondary actor within a middle-ranking bloc dealing with a major power. Diplomacy can soften but not change that asymmetry.

China-France relations

Macron touches Beijing’s nerves on Taiwan and Tibet as he heads for the exit

French president is trying to shore up his legacy of strategic autonomy before leaving office next year, analysts say.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (right) and French President Emmanuel Macron strike the “Kamehameha” pose from the Japanese manga Dragon Ball at the State Guest House in Tokyo on April 1. Photo: Kyodo
India

India-Germany defence road map ‘good template’ for wider EU cooperation

Deeper defence ties are expected to boost India’s maritime modernisation efforts and Europe’s security role in the Indo-Pacific, experts say.

Submarine U-34 is docked in a shipyard of warship maker TKMS in Kiel, Germany, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

US and EU sign critical minerals plan in push to loosen China’s grip

Western nations are seeking to diversify their supply chains for resources used to make semiconductors, EVs and advanced weapons.

Ukraine

Germany’s Merz says no ‘immediate’ Ukraine EU membership

There is little appetite to fast track Kyiv to full membership in the EU – causing some to pitch possible interim benefits in the meantime.

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China-EU relations

‘It’s a tightrope’: why Europe’s wind industry faces a growing China dilemma

A debate is swirling in Europe over what role China should play in its wind power push, as the continent confronts the Middle East energy crisis.

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gives a speech at the WindEurope 2026 expo in Madrid on April 21. Photo: Getty Images
China trade

China places EU defence, aerospace firms on export control list

Seven listed entities are barred from receiving ‘dual-use’ items originating in China, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce.

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The flags of China and the European Union. Photo: Reuters
China economy

Opinion | Engine dilemma lies at heart of successful take-off for China’s C919

Launching the aircraft with the imported LEAP-1C engine has led to bottlenecks and dependence but developing a convincing home-made engine will take time.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Iran war ship seizures show how dual-use claims are being weaponised

In an increasingly fractured world, elastic dual-use claims could become not just a security tool but a new sticking point in global trade.

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Ukraine war

EU approves US$106 billion loan to Ukraine after Hungary lifts veto

The loan will help Ukraine meet its economic and military needs for the next two years.

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A man in military uniform sits near a makeshift memorial dedicated to the fallen Ukrainian soldiers and international volunteers in Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 20, 2026. Photo: EPA
China-EU relations

Exclusive | China’s Russia ties mean EU trade deal is off the table, Finland says

Tough talk from foreign minister shows the nation could provide a de facto veto on China’s efforts to launch a deal.

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Singapore

UN alarmed by Singapore executions for drug-related offences

UN rights chief Turk said drug-related offences not involving loss of life did not meet the ‘most serious crimes’ standard by international law.

Science

How China’s AI carbon accounting model points the finger at the US

The system factors in both production and consumption, lessening the responsibility of exporters such as China.

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China’s new model distributes responsibility by taking into account who actually consumes exported products and the ability of countries’ natural environments to absorb carbon. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

Learn from the East, says economist Justin Lin, refuting ‘overcapacity’ rhetoric

Former World Bank economist defends Beijing’s industrial strategy amid ‘overcapacity’ allegations, points to Germany and a ‘double standard’.

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Justin Lin Yifu, dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University, is seen at last month’s Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026 in China’s Hainan province. Photo: Xinhua
China-EU relations

China’s CRRC drops bid for Lisbon metro deal as EU finds ‘billions’ in subsidies

Polish firm to replace state-backed Chinese giant as Brussels uses regulatory powers to curb what it says is market-distorting foreign aid.

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Hungary

Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ law breaches EU rules as court ruling hailed as ‘historic’

The European Court of Justice rules that the rights of transgender and non-heterosexual individuals in Hungary have been infringed upon.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Jump in EU EV sales amid Iran war boosts Chinese brands’ fortunes

Chinese-made EVs accounted for 16 per cent of the EU market in the year’s first two months, up from 12.2 per cent in 2025, CPCA data shows.

Sales of battery electric vehicles in the EU climbed 51 per cent month on month in March. Photo: EPA
China’s anti-sanctions law

How China is reinforcing its ‘legal shield’ against foreign pressure

New rules take aim at sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis could provide a high-stakes testing ground.

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Austria

1 dead, 6 hurt as trolleybus crashes into supermarket in Austria

Police investigate a suspected medical emergency after a driver lost control of a Salzburg bus.

Artificial intelligence

Elon Musk summoned in France to show up over deepfakes on X, Grok probe

French prosecutors want to interview Musk over the dissemination of Holocaust denial and sexual deepfakes, and political interference.

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