By Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy With its economic strength, leadership skills and commitment to the European project, Germany is in the position to accelerate the much-needed shift in EU-China relations. Will Berlin want to act? On July 1 Germany took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union. The aim, as German Foreign Minister…
The Belgian Chamber of Representatives passed a resolution on 16 July, calling on the Federal Government and the EU to support Taiwan’s democracy, strengthen bilateral relations, and encourage the country’s meaningful participation in international organisations. The resolution was adopted unanimously, by 130 votes to 0, with 13 abstentions. Introduced by members Georges Dallemagne and Els…
On 30 June, the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress adopted the National Security Law in Hong Kong, which came into effect that day, the 23rd anniversary of the city´s handover to China from British rule. Under the law approved by mainland China´s legislature in May, Beijing will have sweeping new powers to impose…
Reinhard Bütikofer, Chair of the China-Delegation in the European Parliament and foreign affairs spokesperson for the Greens/EFA group, comments on the National Security Law: “By imposing unilaterally the so-called National Security Law on Hong Kong, the leadership of the PRC is destroying Hong Kong’s autonomy. The promise of “One country, two systems” has been broken…
The European Parliament has recommended that the EU and its members states file a case before the International Court of Justice, if China applies the new national security law they have proposed for Hong Kong. In a resolution adopted on Friday (19 June) by 565 votes to 34, with 62 abstentions, the European Parliament voted…
By Ian Bond China’s decision to impose a new security law on Hong Kong has been driven off Europe’s front pages by racial tension and violence in America and elsewhere. Beijing may think that it has got away with curtailing Hong Kong’s autonomy. EU leaders may think that having (feebly) protested, they can focus again on…
Reacting to the unilateral decision by Beijing to introduce a national security legislation in Hong Kong, the Socialist and Democrats will support tomorrow the European Parliament’s resolution, condemning China’s move to strengthen its legal grip on the former British colony. Ahead of the EU annual Summit with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in less than one…
Tomorrow, 11th June, the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a closed consultation on EU-China Relations with Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the EEAS. In a statement last week, the ECR Group expressed its grave concerns about the unilateral introduction of national security legislation by Beijing against Hong…
Today, the Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell are assessing their steps to fight disinformation around the coronavirus pandemic and are proposing a way forward in a Joint Communication. The communiqué analyses the immediate response and proposes concrete action that can be quickly set in motion. High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said: “Disinformation in times of…
A new report has found nuclear-armed states spent a record $73 billion on nuclear weapons in 2019, a $14 billion increase from 2018 expenditures. The United States, the center of the global coronavirus pandemic, accounted for nearly half of that spending. As the economies of the US, China, France, and Russia all contract, their nuclear spending is…
