The EU could be at the East Asia Summit that is beginning in Hanoi, and it could carry a compelling and coherent message that would be listened to be the Asian states, Russia and the US. But it isn’t. This must change
Europe’s pathetic reaction to Liu Xiaobo’s Nobel peace prize showed an urge by EU leaders to not only render themselves internationally irrelevant, but also a determination to cover the EU itself in ridicule. Europe must decide whether it wants to play a role in the new world order, or bend like reeds in whichever direction the wind is blowing
A trade deal with South Korea proves that Europe can get things done when it wants. So why is the EU’s policy with China such a puzzle? Perhaps it should learn from Germany, which is showing how to talk tough to Beijing while still achieving its aims
China’s anger over the award of the Nobel peace prize to Liu Xiaobo leaves the EU with a hard question to answer: Should it stick to its human rights principles or should it look to compromise on its values in pursuit of the world’s most important rising power?
On Wednesday Brussels hosts an EU-China Summit. Will Europe be able to take advantage of the opportunity? Or will it lack a real sense of urgency, like the Chinese Qing court in the middle of the 19th century, and see the rest of the world move on without it?
Many European economies might be struggling, but when it comes to trade it still counts. A new agreement over trade with South Korea has sent a strong signal, ahead of this week’s EU-Korea summit, that Europe is still a serious and important global player
How does China think it should deal with Europe and the world?
The question of how the EU should deal with the world’s rising powers will dominate the informal Gymnich foreign ministers’ meeting and the European Council meeting over the next week. In a memo to European leaders, François Godement and Mark Leonard argue that the financial crisis may have increased Europe’s leverage when it deals with Beijing
Could the dream of a “G3” between the EU, China and the US ever become a reality? Or will the EU remain in the sidelines? Francois Godement argues in a piece for Le Monde that to avoid irrelevance, the EU needs to decide what it wants from China. (article in French)
The internal Chinese response to the Copenhagen climate conference