Europe News EU-China relations enter 'do no harm' phase as Trump's shadow looms Last year, the EU and China flirted with a diplomatic reset, which collapsed after Beijing imposed broad restrictions on rare earth exports. That bruising experience has set the stage for a cautious engagement in 2026. 03/02/2026
China Donald Trump warns it is 'very dangerous' for UK to deal with China Downing Street said that the White House had been aware of Starmer's trip and its objectives in advance and pointed out that Trump himself is due to visit China in April. 30/01/2026
China Starmer meets Xi in Beijing to strengthen UK-China relations The first UK prime minister to visit in eight years, Starmer has sought business deals and a "strategic partnership" to reset ties strained by decades of tensions. 29/01/2026
China Canada PM Mark Carney meets China's Xi Jinping in landmark visit According to Carney, the relationship "will not only deepen our bilateral ties to the benefit of our peoples but will also—from our judgement—help improve the multilateral system—a system that, in recent years, has come under great strain." 16/01/2026
Economy China records massive $1.2 trillion trade surplus beating forecasts According to customs data, the surplus was boosted by trade gains in December, with exports climbing 6.6% from the year before, better than economists’ estimates and higher than November’s 5.9% year-on-year increase. 14/01/2026
Economy China's exports grow 5.9% in November, while US shipments drop 29% While exports from China to the US have fallen for most of the year, shipments have surged to other destinations, including Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the European Union. 08/12/2025
China Emmanuel Macron urges China to support peace plan for Ukraine China has provided strong diplomatic support to Russia since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has also extended an economic lifeline through increased trade. 04/12/2025
No Comment Macron welcomed in China for talks with Xi on trade ties and the war in Ukraine French president Emmanuel Macron was welcomed in Beijing by Chinese president Xi Jinping for discussions focused on trade relations and the conflict in Ukraine. 04/12/2025
China Trump says Xi vowed no action on Taiwan during his presidency Taiwan is a self-governing island democracy that Beijing claims as part of its territory, and US officials have long been worried that China may use military action against it. 03/11/2025
USA Trump lowers tariffs on China to 47% after meeting with Xi Washington and Beijing are "in agreement on many things," Trump said after the meeting that lasted nearly two hours, the first between both leaders in six years. 30/10/2025
Markets Nvidia shares jump on Blackwell chip talk ahead of Trump-Xi meeting Tensions between the US and China have hindered semiconductor trade between the two nations, although an easing of restrictions may soon be on the cards. 29/10/2025
Japan Japan looks to boost relations with the US as Trump lands in Tokyo The US president is set to conclude his first tour of Asia in Seoul in the coming days where high-stakes talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping over trade disagreements are scheduled to take place. 27/10/2025
Economy Why is China restricting rare earth exports and will the EU respond? European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the EU is ready to use "all tools" in response to Chinese export controls of rare earths as industry suffers. 27/10/2025
Economy US-China trade deal closing in ahead of high-stakes meeting Beijing decided to implement tighter restrictions on rare earths exports that are needed for advanced technologies. In response, Trump threatened additional tariffs on Chinese imports. 26/10/2025
World News Trump sets off for first trip to Asia this term On a trip expected to be focused on investments and peace deals, the US president will be visiting Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. He is also likely to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. 25/10/2025
Economy China focuses on high-tech and consumers as trade wars hit economy An outline of the ruling Communist Party's blueprint for the next five years was laid out in a 5,000-word communique released on Thursday. 24/10/2025