5 EU countries call for tougher trade weapons to tackle China
"France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Lithuania urged the EU to launch probes into unfair trade practices more frequently. The document, which was shared with the European Commission and other member countries on Friday, also proposed the creation of new, more defensive trade tools."
--- Which is only reasonable, but ... guess what ...
"The non-paper's signatories, which include all of the EU's biggest economies except Germany"
--- What a surprise!
Germany resists EU members' push for a tougher stance on China
"Even with a record €87 billion trade deficit with China, Berlin hopes Beijing will keep its market open to German industry, despite the obstacles faced by EU businesses in China and the Asian giant's strategy of reducing its dependence on foreign products."
--- I mainly blame industrial lobbyists and the centre-left part of the government for this, but obviously Chancellor Merz is not really tough on China either.
"According to a report published in May by the EU think tank Centre for European Reform, the growing concentration of global car, machinery and chemicals production in China could weaken innovation in traditional manufacturing hubs and increase Beijing’s leverage over Berlin through the threat of supply disruptions"
--- Worse, they actually transferred lots of knowledge to China and helped create industrial capacity there. And they still haven't understood that this might kill them in the long run.
Viral posts distort Kaja Kallas’ remarks on China and Russia
"During the exchange, the moderator argued that China was increasingly dominating industries, ranging from batteries and electric vehicles to industrial goods. He added he had not yet seen a "coherent European response to the China challenge."
Kallas replied that countries around the world were increasingly concerned about what she described as China's "coercive economic practices", before turning to a medical metaphor to refer to Europe's response.
“We have a very clear understanding of the diagnosis of the disease, but we don’t have agreement on the cure,” Kallas said.
She continued: “If you have a very, very difficult disease, like you have cancer, then you have two choices — either you increase the morphine or you start chemotherapy.”
Kallas later explained that “morphine” referred to subsidies helping European companies compete against Chinese imports, while “chemotherapy” referred to tougher EU measures that could trigger retaliation from Beijing. "
--- Quite fitting actually. But sadly, in the West there are lots of right and left wing idiots who support Russia and China in all matters. And who essentially spread Chinese propaganda.
How China Got One of the World’s Largest Human Rights Convenings Canceled
"A close look at the RightsCon 2026 program suggests it was not only the presence of Taiwan participants but also the form their participation took that raised red flags for the Chinese government. In this case, Taiwanese CSOs were organizing sessions critical of China’s influence overseas, including Africa. Three sessions in particular fit this category: 1) Amnesty International’s Taiwan affiliate’s roundtable on “Confronting fear, exclusion and nationalism: how should civil society respond to China’s digital authoritarian practices;” 2) Open Culture Foundation’s dialogue on “Cybersecurity with Chinese characteristics, from exporting authoritarian norms to civil society resilience;” and 3) Doublethink Lab’s co-organized dialogue on “Networked authoritarianism: unpacking the China-Russia FIMI nexus in Ukraine, Taiwan, and Sub-Saharan Africa.” Doublethink Lab’s participation stands out among this group. In 2025 one of its founders was placed on a Chinese government list of “Taiwanese independence separatists” who would be investigated and put on trial in a Chinese court in absentia.
[...] Two other sessions were organized by a Uyghur group on confronting Uyghur forced labor in Chinese supply chains, a very sensitive topic in China, and a Hong Kong group on citizens setting digital rights standards. While the Uyghur and Hong Kong groups were not explicitly mentioned in Access Now’s statements, they do advocate for greater autonomy and even independence from China, which added to the sensitivity of their participation. Still other sessions organized by non-Taiwanese participants were devoted to Chinese surveillance in the Belt and Road Initiative, which includes Africa, and how China is exporting its Great Firewall to other countries."
--- We can't have China-critical events in our Chinese colonies, can we?
Chinese ship leaves after tense stand-off near Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands
At least 82 killed in Chinese coal mine explosion
Satellite imagery shows Philippine construction on two islands in disputed Spratlys
--- China Uncensored: "I’M BEGGING YOU DON’T GO TO CHINA"
--- China Uncensored: "I don't care anymore..."
--- CNA: "China's Xi hails 'unbreakable' ties with Pakistan"
Deutschland immer abhängiger von China
"So kamen gemessen am Gewicht im vergangenen Jahr rund zwei Drittel der Direktimporte von Lithium-Ionen-Akkus aus China - zwei Jahre zuvor war es noch knapp die Hälfte, wie die FDP-nahe Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit mitteilte.
Bei Solarpanels stieg der Anteil demnach von etwa 89 Prozent auf knapp 93 Prozent, bei Antibiotika von gut 65 Prozent auf rund 73 Prozent.
[...] "Ausgerechnet in kritischen Bereichen diversifiziert Deutschland nicht, sondern wird noch abhängiger und damit noch verletzlicher", sagte Studienautor Frederic Spohr, der die Büros der Stiftung in Taiwan und Korea leitet. Er verwies auf die China-Strategie der Bundesregierung von 2023. Diese zielt eigentlich darauf ab, die wirtschaftliche Abhängigkeiten von der Volksrepublik zu verringern."
--- Zeitenwende mit deutschen Charakteristiken.
"Am Mittwoch wird Bundeswirtschaftsministerin Katherina Reiche (CDU) zu einem Besuch in China erwartet. Dabei soll es darum gehen, das "künftige Kooperationspotenzial auszuloten und gleichzeitig den Dialog mit der chinesischen Regierung fortzusetzen""
--- Kooperation und Dialog. Das hat in den letzten 30 Jahren unglaublich viel gebracht.
Katherina Reiche probt in China einen Spagat
"Der chinesische Markt bleibt für viele deutsche Unternehmen unverzichtbar."
--- Quark.
"Wir benötigen eine Neukalibrierung der Beziehungen, die stärker auf Reziprozität setzt."
--- Das sagen Sie jetzt seit Jahren. Aber die Abhängigkeit von China steigt sogar.
Überwachung von Amts wegen
China ist "Krebs"? Angebliche Kallas-Aussage geht viral
Mehr als 90 Tote bei Minenunglück in China
