
EU Dumps Duterte-Era Human Rights Objections To Kickstart Philippine Trade Deal
The EU is looking for a viable regional partner against China and sidelined previous human rights objections to kickstart free trade negotiations this week

The EU is looking for a viable regional partner against China and sidelined previous human rights objections to kickstart free trade negotiations this week

The diplomatic slap in the face is a blow to Europe’s hopes of carving a foreign policy path away from a more hawkish United States as relations increasingly sour with Beijing.

If and how Europe deals with reducing its reliance on China is a defining issue of the decade, as a new EU strategy launched this week envisions greater controls on foreign investments into the bloc and the flow of technology.

Hungary and Greece are believed to be the primary stumbling blocks to EU sanctions against Chinese companies accused of reselling Western military hardware to Russia.

Chinese officials welcomed the comments which came despite the Netherlands’ attempts to restrict the export of semiconductor technology to China.

The aim is not to decouple the EU and China’s economies, but to “rebalance” the relationship, Borrell said.

The EU is sitting on about a third of the lithium it needs in the next ten years if it is going to reach its goals for using electric cars and wind and solar energy.