Category: Europe

Weighing the Value of “Values”

I was in Berlin this week for a conference on the EU’s relationship with Africa in the context of the continent’s growing ties with external actors, many of whom Europe finds acutely worrying. The conference eerily landed on the second anniversary ...

For Chinese Viewers, a Serbian Blogger Replaces a Simple Story with a Complex Reality

In recent weeks, Serbia has once again found itself at the crossroads of global power politics. On Chinese social media, military enthusiasts have been celebrating the prominent role of Chinese-made equipment in Serbia’s preparations for its September 20 military parade — including the debut of two ...

German Minister Says China ‘Increasingly Aggressive’ in Asia-Pacific Region

Germany's foreign minister hit out Monday at what he called China's repeated threats to "unilaterally change" borders in the Asia-Pacific region, calling Beijing "increasingly aggressive." "China repeatedly threatens, more or less openly, to unilaterally change the status quo and shift borders ...

What Would a Grand Bargain Between China and the U.S. Mean for the Rest of Us?

The prevailing view among Chinese intellectuals is that U.S.-China strategic rivalry is structural and enduring. Yan Yilong, for instance, describes the competition as “not merely a disagreement between two sovereign states” but a “structural conflict between the great rejuvenation of ...

Lessons for Europe From China’s Critical Minerals Strategy in Africa

While the U.S., India, and countries in the Persian Gulf are all moving quickly to establish new critical mineral supply chains, the European Union is struggling to follow suit, particularly in Africa. The EU currently lacks a cohesive policy framework that ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

How to Lure Chinese Financing Back to the Global South: Report

Global South countries face increasing financing pressure, endangering their ability to keep developing while also implementing measures to deal with a growing climate crisis. The disruption of global trade is coupled with a larger megatrend: flows of international capital to the developing world have turned negative. This means that countries are now routinely paying more to service loans than they receive in disbursements.

The vast majority of Global South borrowers ...

Why Did the U.S. Bomb Iran? A Chinese Commentator Argues the Real Target Was Europe

An influential geo-political commentator on WeChat, Zhan Hao, offers a provocative interpretation of recent U.S. military actions in the Middle East. The article, titled “Unexpectedly, the biggest loser from the U.S. bombing of Iran is the European Union — it’s going to be drained dry in ...

Will China’s Trade Strategy in Africa Succeed Where Europe’s Didn’t?

At a recent ministerial meeting in the central Chinese city of Changsha, Beijing announced an ambitious new phase of its engagement with Africa: the possibility of eliminating customs duties on exports from all 53 African countries (except for Eswatini, which maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan). While many ...

Europe’s Lithium Quest Hampered by China and Lack of Cash

By Alvaro Villalobos Europe's ambition to be a world player in decarbonised transportation arguably depends on sourcing lithium abroad, especially in South America. Even the bloc's broader energy security and climate goals could depend on ...

Europe’s Green Mining Regulations May Push Africa Closer to China

While Europe’s environmental policy to limit carbon emissions is well-meaning and aims to fight climate change, it could actually make things worse for Africa. Instead of helping the continent to develop its industries, EU policy might instead give China more control over access to valuable mineral resources, ...

Spain Busts Lucrative Chinese-Arab Money Laundering Ring

Spanish police on Wednesday said they had broken up a Chinese-Arab ring that laundered $21 million of proceeds from people and drug trafficking through the informal "hawala" money transfer system. Police said the investigation began after the dismantling of a migrant-trafficking ...

NATO Chief Says China Military Expansion ‘Staggering’

China's expansion of its armed forces is "staggering," NATO's chief said on a visit to Japan beginning Tuesday aimed at "projecting" the alliance's power in the Asia-Pacific region. "Let us not be naive about China," secretary general Mark Rutte told the ...

EU Unveils Critical Material Projects to Cut China Dependence

By Raziye Akkoc and Daniel Aronssohn The EU unveiled dozens of projects Tuesday to ramp up the extraction of critical raw materials in Europe as the bloc seeks to reduce its over-reliance on China. The ...
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