Feed aggregator

Written by Anna Flynn.

The EU and China account for nearly 30 % of global trade. The EU has defined China as a ‘partner, competitor, and systemic rival.’

One of the key, current challenges is that, following the announcement of United States’ tariffs, China announced new export controls on their rare earth elements in April and October 2025. A second package was suspended until November 2026.

At the 25th EU-China Summit in Beijing, marking 50 years of diplomatic relations, the partners discussed trade, climate change, and Russia, against an ongoing backdrop of huge geopolitical shifts.

During the July 2025 summit, the EU urged China to lift its restrictions. China’s rare earth elements are difficult to source elsewhere, and simultaneously play an imperative role in the EU’s digital, defence, and green industries. According to the European Central Bank, 80 % of European firms are three intermediaries away from rare earth element producers; highlighting the value of these materials to the EU economy.

The EU’s plan to address this vulnerable, yet vital supply, is the Critical Raw Materials Act. The aim of this regulation (among other things) is to diversify the EU’s imports, support strategic projects, and strengthen EU monitoring of supply risks.

In July 2025, Parliament adopted a resolution urging the Commission to speed up the process of implementing the Critical Raw Materials Act, condemning China’s actions as unjustified and coercive.

Moreover, The EU’s trade deficit with China (€308.4 billion in 2024), is expected to rise.

Meanwhile, China’s relationship with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is growing, in direct competition with the EU’s objective to diversify critical raw material sources. Latin America produces large amounts of lithium and copper. By 2030, the EU’s demand for lithium is expected to increase 12-fold. Chinese companies have purchased half of the world’s largest lithium mines, and China is Latin America’s second largest trading partner today.

Nevertheless, in a joint statement following the EU-China summit, both parties reiterated that major economies should bolster climate efforts. They agreed to cooperate and lead a green transition.  

A couple of months afterwards, ahead of COP30, China submitted its nationally determined contribution (NDC), or climate targets, for 2035. China’s share of global emissions increased from 9 % in 1990 to 17 % in 2024, and this is the first time that it has agreed to an absolute greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

An additional source of contention is China’s involvement with Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. At the summit, the EU stressed China’s responsibility to uphold world order and to refrain from supporting Russia’s military agenda. At the end of October 2025, the EU’s 19th package of sanctions was adopted against Russia, including sanctions on 12 entities located in China that are supporting Russia’s military and industrial complex.

This bilateral relationship will continue to carry far-reaching importance.

Links to EPRS publications

• China’s rare-earth export restrictions
• China’s 2035 climate pledge
• Economic Outlook Quarterly Final year of implementation for the recovery plans
• The third generation of national climate plans Analysis of major economies’ nationally determined contributions ahead of COP30
• China’s increasing presence in Latin America: Implications for the European Union
• EU-China relations

Öt autó ütközött Pozsonyban, az Einstein utcán. A baleset miatt dugó alakult ki, közölte az STVR Zöld Hulláma. Az útszakasz ugyan járható, de 15–20 perces késéssel kell számolni. (tasr)

Football can often deliver fairytale moments - and at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday, it served one up as Antoine Semenyo brought the curtain down on his Bournemouth career in perfect fashion. The forward, who is on the verge of joining Manchester City, provided yet another telling contribution for the Cherries when he struck in the fi .

Le Kosovo n'a pas de secteur agroalimentaire performant, mais des producteurs se lancent dans l'aventure de la transformation et de la commercialisation directe. Lait, fromage, pickles, miel et volaille : les alternatives locales à l'import existent.

- Articles / Kosovo, Une - Diaporama, Une - Diaporama - En premier, Economie, Courrier des Balkans, Agriculture

Le Kosovo n'a pas de secteur agroalimentaire performant, mais des producteurs se lancent dans l'aventure de la transformation et de la commercialisation directe. Lait, fromage, pickles, miel et volaille : les alternatives locales à l'import existent.

- Articles / Kosovo, Une - Diaporama, Une - Diaporama - En premier, Economie, Courrier des Balkans, Agriculture

Darren Fletcher has confirmed he will remain as Manchester United 39;s interim coach for the FA Cup third-round tie with Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday. However, if there is one reality reinforced by United 39;s 2-2 draw at Burnley, it is that whatever issues there are at the club, they will not be solved merely be switching the man .

HOMO NUMERICUS. Lors des premières minutes du terrible incendie de Crans-Montana, des vidéos sont apparues sur les réseaux sociaux témoignant que certains avaient préféré filmer plutôt que d’essayer de sauver. L’urgence est devenue contenu numérique et l’écran a supplanté le geste d’entraide. Par Philippe Boyer, directeur relations institutionnelles et innovation à Covivio.

Fifa plans to create AI-enabled 3D avatars of every player at the 2026 World Cup to enhance the tournament 39;s semi-automated offside technology. This will mean creating a digital scan of all 1,248 players in the 26-man squads of the 48 teams.

Près de 150 entreprises françaises sont présentes au Consumer Electronic Show de Las Vegas. Mais les régions adaptent leurs stratégies de soutien aux start-up. Alors que la plupart réduisent la voilure, certaines renoncent à s’y rendre, tandis que d’autres maintiennent d’importants moyens publics.

Az év első hetében, tehát január 1. és 4. között 80 közúti balesetet regisztrált a rendőrség. A baleseteknek két halálos áldozata volt, hárman pedig súlyosan megsérültek.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has reached its sharpest edge, with four heavyweight quarterfinals promising drama, history and unrelenting intensity as the road to continental glory narrows. Friday rsquo;s action opens with Mali v Senegal (18:00), a West African derby layered with contrast.

A popular mayor, a former TV star and an ex-chief of Nepal’s electricity board have joined hands to fight the old guard in the upcoming elections.

Toutes les taxes sur les producteurs de richesses ont été explorées par des centaines d’amendements, et la TVA sociale n’a même pas été évoquée.

Hétfőn délelőtt elgázolt egy 69 éves gyalogost egy 78 éves sofőr Homonnán. A gyalogos megsérült, kezelésre szorul.

Gyanús telefonhívások érkeznek Szlovákiába, főleg az Egyesült Királyságból. A rendőrség azt tanácsolja, ne válaszoljanak a hívásokra és ne is hívják vissza az ilyen számokat.

In Thursday's edition: Jordan tensions, Varoufakis on drugs, Ukraine guarantees, Meloni makes Mercosur, Rubio to meet Danes

DÉCRYPTAGE. Ce mardi, le président américain a déclaré que le Venezuela allait « remettre » jusqu’à 50 millions de barils de pétrole aux États-Unis. Mais est-ce réellement possible selon le droit international et même américain ?

'If the victims were powerful men, X would be offline by now,' a Greens lawmaker said

The upcoming talks are expected to focus on the issue of returns but also on financial assistance for the reconstruction of the war-torn country