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☆ France's Macron set to press visiting Xi on trade, Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chinas President Xi Jinping (L) and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron attend the official welcoming ceremony in Beijing on April 6, 2023. China's President Xi Jinping heads to Paris on Sunday for a rare visit, with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron set to press him to reduce trade imbalances and try to convince him to use his influence on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Neither aim will be easily fulfilled during Xi's two-day stay in France, where he arrives at a time of growing trade tensions between Europe and China. His official meetings will include joint talks with Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will not join Macron and Xi in Paris due to prior commitments, sources said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Emmanuel Macron, Xi, Ursula von der, Olaf Scholz, Noah Barkin Organizations: China's, European Union, EU, Macron, European Commission Locations: Beijing, Paris, Russia, Ukraine, France, Europe, China, European, Germany, German

☆ China’s Xi is visiting Europe for the first time in five years – his goodwill tour will be an uphill struggle
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Major breakthroughs with China’s toughest critics will be hard to come by unless Xi is ready to make surprise concessions. And the trip could instead serve to underscore divisions – not only between Europe and China – but those within Europe that could play to China’s favor, analysts say. Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron visit a garden in Guangdong during Macron's state visit to China last April. Putin has said he plans to visit China this month, according to Russian state media. Xi may also look to highlight Chinese investments in both Belgrade and Budapest in a message to the rest of Europe.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Andrea Bocelli, –, Xi, China –, ”, Noah Barkin, Hungary –, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Von der Leyen, Olaf Scholz, Chong Ja Ian, “, Chong, Jacques Witt, China’s, Macron, Russia …, Wang Yiwei, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Aleksandar Vučić, Viktor Orban – Organizations: CNN, European Union, Ukraine, German Marshall Fund of, EU, “, National University of Singapore, Getty, Beijing’s Renmin University, NATO, Reuters, EV Locations: China, Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, “ China, Europe, Berlin, United States, Serbia, Hungary, Beijing, Paris, “ France, North America, Guangdong, Ukraine, Switzerland, Barkin, “, Belgrade, Budapest, Balkans, Balkan

☆ Europe is nervous about a potential Trump win. China sees an opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

China – which has not condemned Russia’s invasion and claims impartiality in the conflict – has also emerged as a key lifeline for the sanctions-hit Russian economy. In Europe, this has galvanized concerns about China’s own global ambitions and played a role in the European Union’s ongoing push to recalibrate its policy toward China. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell reiterated the EU’s “expectation that China refrains from supporting Russia,” in a meeting with Wang Friday. “As long as war in Ukraine continues, EU policies toward China will move into closer alignment with the US. As president, Trump not only voiced skepticism of the system of US alliances in Europe, but leveraged tariffs on European steel and aluminum, sparking retaliatory measures on US goods from Europe.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Wang Yi, Wang, Donald Trump, Trump, ” Wang, Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, “, ”, Noah Barkin, Maxym Marusenko, Putin, Xi Jinping, –, Jens Stoltenberg, Josep Borrell, Christoph Heusgen, Dmytro Kuleba, Xi, hasn’t, It’s, Kuleba, Vladimir Putin, Xie Huanchi, Yu Jie, ‘, Liu Dongshu, “ Wang Yi, China …, ” Liu, Emmanuel Macron, GMF Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Munich, Washington, NATO, German Marshall Fund of, Communist Party, Wang Friday, Bloomberg, CNN, China’s, Ministry, ”, Ukrainian, Security, Beijing, Peace, Getty, ’ Observers, US, Chatham House, City University of Hong, “, White Locations: China, Hong Kong, States, Europe, Ukraine, Beijing, Munich, Moscow, Russia, United States, Russian, Ukraine's Kharkiv, West . China, Taiwan, EU, ”, China’s, Asia, Pacific, ” Beijing, Switzerland, Xinhua, London, Spain, France, City University of Hong Kong’s, Washington, York

[1/2] Performers dance to welcome Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong at Beijing Capital International Airport ahead of the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 17, 2023. The conciliatory approach towards rivals as well as China's partners in the developing world comes as President Xi Jinping gets to grips with the most significant domestic economic problems seen in years. China has not changed its tone on every issue. It has not backed away from escalating maritime confrontation with the Philippines in the South China Sea. Stabilizing the U.S. relationship, including with a meeting between Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden at an upcoming Asia- Pacific summit, could give China breathing room.

Persons: Vo Van Thuong, Parker, Biden, Xi Jinping, Noah Barkin, Barkin, Cheng Lei, Xi, Chuck Schumer, Willy Lam, Huiyao Wang, Qin Gang, Li Shangfu, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Zack Cooper, Don Durfee, Robert Birsel Organizations: Beijing Capital International, Forum, U.S, Initiative, Jamestown Foundation, for, Marshall, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, San Francisco China, HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, Sri Lanka, United States, Asia, Europe, Australia, U.S, Zambia, Philippines, South China, Africa, for China

☆ Strained France-Germany ties slow EU decision making
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

From joint defence programmes to nuclear energy or relations with China, Paris and Berlin are at odds over a growing number of issues. In an August speech Macron made his frustration public, calling Germany's position on nuclear energy "a historic mistake". Germany decided to phase out nuclear energy after Japan's Fukushima disaster in 2011, closing its last reactors in April. It is unclear if France and Germany can hash out a deal in Hamburg ahead of a crucial EU energy meeting on Oct. 17, but analysts are doubtful. Although the concept was criticised for having failed with Russia, German officials believe trade ties with a country like China could prevent conflict.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Sarah Meyssonnier, Macron, Detlef Seif, Marc, Antoine Eyl, Wolfgang Munchau, hasn't, Wandel, Handel, Noah Barkin, Sarah Marsh, Kate Abnett, Michel Rose, Rachel Armstrong, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Weimar, REUTERS, German Christian Democratic Union, BASF, Reuters, EDF, Franco, GMF, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Hamburg, Berlin, China, German, Germany, Ukraine, Europe, EU, Franco, Italian, Russia, Brussels, Beijing

Hope but few detailsWorries about China’s economic recovery sent stocks and U.S. futures lower on Tuesday morning, despite a promising meeting on Monday between the country’s top leader, Xi Jinping, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing. The discussions raised hopes that the world’s two biggest economies might stabilize relations, but the market reaction points at the deeper challenges for policymakers and business. There was no agreement or detail on the most contentious issues: restrictions on Chinese access to advanced technologies; accusations that the U.S. and its allies want to contain Beijing’s ambitions; Taiwan; the war in Ukraine. “Distrust remains high,” said Noah Barkin, a specialist on China relations at the research firm Rhodium Group. “For international investors, this is not enough to trigger any sort of rethink with regard to the Chinese market.” The Biden administration, he said, would continue screening strategic investments into China and Beijing showed no signs of easing pressure on foreign firms operating in the country.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Xi, Biden, Blinken, ”, Noah Barkin Organizations: “ Locations: Beijing, California, Taiwan, Ukraine, China

REUTERS/Fabrizio BenschSummarySummary Companies Germany unveils first ever National Security StrategyDocument reflects growing focus on security over economyContains strong criticism of China but does not mention TaiwanImplementation could be hampered by lack of Security CouncilBERLIN, June 14 (Reuters) - China poses a growing threat to global security, Germany said in its first national security strategy on Wednesday, underscoring Berlin's shift in emphasis from economic interests to geopolitics following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It also omits some major issues, such as Taiwan, and as expected, does not create a National Security Council that would help its implementation. "We paid for every cubic metre of Russian gas twofold and threefold with our national security." Russia is the top threat to European peace "for now", the National Security Strategy (NSS) said. "The good thing is that German companies are drawing similar conclusions to the German federal government," she said.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Fabrizio Bensch, cyberattacks, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Annalena Baerbock, Ola Kaellenius, Baerbock, Noah Barkin, Norbert Roettgen, Scholz, Christian Lindner, Andreas Rinke, Miranda Murray, Rachel More, Madeline Chambers, Christoph Steitz, Angus MacSwan, Mark Potter, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Germany, Security, BERLIN, Security Council, National Security, NSS, Volkswagen, BASF, BMW, Benz, NATO, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, China, Taiwan, Ukraine, Beijing, Asia, Russia, Moscow, Europe, Moldova, Georgia

Noah Barkin, an analyst with the Rhodium Group, said China's chief objective was to prevent Europe from aligning more closely with the United States. Macron travelled to China with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, both pressuring China on Ukraine, but failing to wrest any public shifts in position from Xi. Xi did not mention a possible conversation with Zelenskiy in China's official reports of his comments after the meetings. "Macron seemed to believe he could charm Xi into shifting his approach on the war," he said. "China and Europe can still be partners," said Wang Yiwei, director of Center for European Studies at Renmin University in Beijing.

☆ Barkin: It's interesting the Europeans are in China to talk with President Xi, when the U.S. is having trouble doing the same
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBarkin: It's interesting the Europeans are in China to talk with President Xi, when the U.S. is having trouble doing the sameNoah Barkin, senior adviser in the China practice at the Rhodium Group, discusses what EU leaders like French President Macron are hoping to achieve with their visit to Beijing to meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping.

Macron last visited China in 2019 while it will be von der Leyen's first trip since becoming European Commission president that year. However, some analysts said ostentatious deal-signing would appear opportunistic at a time of heightened frictions between the United States and China. "Both (Macron and von der Leyen) have not only business in mind but also Ukraine," said Joerg Wuttke, president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China. Macron and von der Leyen are expected to echo the message that Xi should also talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. China and EU decoupling will only serve U.S. interests, but make both China and Europe suffer," it said.

"It's a very prestigious thing to host the first visit abroad of the King of England, it doesn't happen every day. "Our message will be clear: There may be a temptation to get closer to Russia, but do not cross that line," a senior French diplomat said. They need a good relationship with Europe so will not want to play on Macron's internal problems," another French diplomat said. Analysts say China's deteriorating relationship with the U.S. gives Europe a bit more leverage, with the EU's vast single market becoming more crucial for China. Reporting by Michel Rose, John Irish in Paris and Laurie Chen in Beijing; Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"But after years of dithering, the German 5G network is deeply dependent on Chinese suppliers. Huawei, ZTE and China's government reject these claims, saying that they are motivated by a protectionist desire to support non-Chinese rivals. GERMANY LAGGINGWhile several countries across Europe are still formulating telecom policies, only Britain and Sweden have so far banned Huawei and ZTE from supplying critical 5G network equipment. The German government was last month unable to answer a parliamentary request about how many Huawei components operators were using in their 5G networks, filed in part in response to the report. The deadline to remove all Huawei gear from Britain's 5G networks by the end of 2027 remains unchanged.

"But after years of dithering, the German 5G network is deeply dependent on Chinese suppliers. Huawei, ZTE and China's government reject these claims, saying that they are motivated by a protectionist desire to support non-Chinese rivals. The government would ban operators from using certain controlling elements from Huawei and ZTE in 5G networks. The German government was last month unable to answer a recent parliamentary request about how many Huawei components operators were using in their 5G networks. The deadline to remove all Huawei gear from Britain's 5G networks by the end of 2027 remains unchanged.

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