We are close yet so far…

Written by Lena, FR China, a word I can’t forgot, a world I’m still exploring. Almond eyes, black hair and shy nature, my features reminds me everyday to where I come from. How a single trip, 23 days, 552 hours, 33120 minutes of time had made me fall in love with a country ? Living and growing up […]

CHINA: five letters that could mean…

Written by Federica, IT CHINA: five letters that could mean… Culture: the classics of Confucianism and Taoism in the literature, the charming pagodas and pavilions in the architecture, the traditional Chinese medicine (including herbal medicine, acupuncture and massage), the fascinating calligraphy… these are only a few items from the wonderful world of Chinese culture… History: […]

Dreaming of China

Written by Andrei, RO As a student of Politics and International Relations in the United Kingdom and Belgium, I had the opportunity to conduct in-depth study on the relations between China and the European Union. Throughout the years I studied on the one hand, the history and political system of China; and on the other […]

China in My Suburbs

Written by Dalia, LT I timidly tiptoe after Ling Ling. The small black-haired Chinese girl approaches tall metal gates and calls out in a sharp voice sounds of a language not familiar to me, so foreign to the ear that they seem only an accidental mix of vowels and consonants. Someone answers from the other side […]

Can We(esterners) ever understand (the) Chinese

Written by Bala, BE A nostalgic foreword In the mid 70’s, fascinated by the historical meeting of Chairman Mao and Dr. Kissinger, many young members of the American academia, mostly men, went to China, attracted by a mystical land, where beautiful women wore tiny shoes. As one such naive adventurer, I spent some time in the […]

The “Legend of the Sun” wishes you Happy Chinese New Year 2015 from Brussels

The unique festive moment of the year for the followers of the lunar calendar has arrived. Last Wednesday the lunar New Year was widely celebrated in many parts of the world, particularly in China. 2015 is the “Year of the Sheep” for China, a year of peaceful coexistence, something that the world dearly needs. On this […]

China-EU Relations: Broader, Higher and Stronger

Written by H.E. Ambassador Yang Yanyi, Head of the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union The year 2014 was a year of bumper harvest for China’s diplomacy as we made significant progress in both diplomatic philosophy and practice. China took a proactive approach in developing its relations with Europe while […]

“China is the only BRICS country to have either met or possibly slightly surpassed my expectations”, BRICS inventor Jim O’ Neil from Switzerland; the Sting reports live from World Economic Forum 2015 in Davos

Being at the second day of the World Economic Forum 2015 in Davos a session that monopolised the interest of the world was titled “The BRICS Agenda”. It was there where everybody was anticipating to see how the BRICS countries contribute to the global economy. Most importantly we were eager to see the reasons behind their […]

“Financial crisis will not happen in China!”, the Chinese Premier underlines from Switzerland; the Sting reports live from World Economic Forum 2015 in Davos

On the first day of the World Economic Forum 2015 in Davos it was the turn of the Chinese Premier to take the floor and perform a much awaited speech. Professor Schwab introduced Mr Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, with great honour and interest. Mr Keqiang made one of the […]

China’s impact as a global investor; the Sting reports live from World Economic Forum 2015 in Davos

The Sting continues its exclusive live coverage from the World Economic Forum 2015 in Davos with a critical piece on China. Yesterday afternoon all the panelists took their seats to participate in what was to become a fresh revealing dialogue on Chinese investment around the globe. The panelists of the session were Mr Cai Jin-Yong, Executive […]

10th ASEM in Milan and the importance of being one: EU’s big challenge on the way to China

The 10th Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM) in Milan, Italy, concluded last Friday after two full days of work. The meeting was established in 1996 and it has since become a key forum for new cooperation proposals between Europe and Asia. Russia-Ukraine question has probably been the this edition’s hottest topic under the spotlight, as Milan summit […]

Europe again the black sheep at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors

Last weekend the much anticipated G20 Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ meeting happened in Cairns, Australia. It was very supportive and positive as far as the implementation of the necessary measures to boost the global economic growth in terms of GDP by an additional 1.8 per cent till 2018. This will be done through investments […]

Qualcomm to be the next target of EU antitrust regulators? China might be the answer

This hot, rich summer 2014 is approaching its end, but it seems like a hot fall is awaiting already. Google’s antitrust case is still a big question for European regulation on competition, but another case might be giving a big shake to the whole scene. Reuters recently reported that Qualcomm, the world’s No. 1 mobile […]

Greece may offer to China a European gateway

Chinese diplomacy delivered a good lesson to Europeans with the official visits of Premier Li Keqiang to Britain and Greece last week. In both cases the Chinese offered deals that the British and Greeks couldn’t deny. In London, the Chinese Premier got a deal with the Bank of England which appointed one of China’s largest […]

What the future holds for the EU – China relations?

EU and China relations are perfectly depicted in a passage from a European Union External Action service Press release issued recently. It says, “While acknowledging China’s advancement of the economic and social wellbeing of its people in the past 25 years, the EU also hopes to see greater space open up for discussion and debate […]

The US banks drive the developing world to a catastrophe

How is it possible that the good news of the growth of the American economy which has raised its gear, also brings forth crisis and possibly destruction in developing countries? Yet this is exactly what is already happening in our brave new world. The good news is that the US economy now grows at a […]

Foreign direct investments the success secrete of Eurozone

Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) are long-term placements in real economy business, not right away tradable, realized by investors residing outside the country. They should be sharply distinguished from the highly volatile financial investments on stocks and bonds, which can depart from the country at any moment. The crisis years in the period 2009-2012 don’t seem […]

Commission sets moderate greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2030

Yesterday, the European Commission took the middle, not ambitious path, on the burning issue of climate protection. It chose to propose rather conservative targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and energy production from renewable resources, easy to achieve and not demanding extra efforts in the investments front. To this effect, early yesterday, José Manuel […]

Britain and Germany change attitude towards the European Union

Two different developments, completely unrelated with each other, at least in the first reading, took place yesterday and may shape the future of the European Union in the near future. In the first instance the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, on official visit to China, had a quite unpleasant morning yesterday being badly molested by the […]

EU to gain the most from the agreement with Iran

The fall of oil prices right after the European Union negotiators, working on behalf of the E3+3 group, reached an agreement with Iran, was the first and infallible sign that this was a step towards the right direction, at least for the energy importing countries. In the Geneva negotiations, the West was represented by Catherine […]

EU sets ambitious targets for the Warsaw climate conference

The UN climate conferences are the kind on international tribunes, where the European Union can present its opinions with pride. It’s not only that the EU has unilaterally set a target to cut down green-house emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020, but also because this programme is on track to achieve targets. On […]

EU signs with Canada historic trade agreement, others to follow

The announcement of the conclusion of the EU-Canada free trade agreement yesterday not only opens a new chapter in the history of EU-Canada relations, but the solutions agreed in sensitive chapters, like agriculture and animal products and public procurement will serve as a base for the under negotiation similar pact with the US. The Prime […]

Parliament sets conditions on EU-China investment deal

A proposal for a resolution on the EU-China investment and market access agreement will be discussed in the October 8 plenary session of the European Parliament. A vote is scheduled to follow on the same day. The resolution, drafted by Helmut Scholz (GUE/NGL, DE), was passed by 25 votes to 2 with 3 abstentions, during […]

OECD: Mind the financial gap that lies ahead

A rather disappointing picture of the world economy drew OECD Deputy Chief Economist Jorgen Elmeskov last week, when he said that “The gradual pick-up in momentum in the advanced economies is encouraging but a sustainable recovery is not yet firmly established. Major risks remain”. If it was not for China’s predicted growth during the last […]

New chapters in EU-China trade disputes

This year there was no summer recess for the European Commission Directorate General for Trade (DG TRADE) and more precisely for the Directorate C which is competent for Asia. China kept the department’s bureaucrats busy all along this August, because on the 7th and the 16th of this month the Directorate produced two major cases […]

EU Commission retracts on the Chinese solar panel case

In an unexpected move the European Commission announced on Wednesday 7 August that it “…continues anti-subsidy investigation on solar panels from China…”, and this only a few days after Commissioner Karel De Gucht, responsible for foreign trade had announced on 27 July that the issue had been concluded ‘amicably’ between Brussels and Beijing. In contrast […]

EU and China resolve amicably solar panel trade dispute

Exactly ten days after the European Sting predicted on 19 July that most likely EU and China would soon settle their long time dispute on solar panels, Commissioner De Gucht confirmed last Saturday: “We found an amicable solution in the EU-China solar panels case that will lead to a new market equilibrium at sustainable prices”. In […]

China hopes EU Commissioner De Gucht drops super anti-dumping tariff on solar panels

With EU – China bilateral trade volume at more than €1 billion a day and both ways investment flows at around €20bn a year, accusations and complaints over state subsidies, dumping and other trade distorting practices exchanged between the two giant partners seem unimportant. Yet the recent proliferation of the anti-dumping and anti-state-subsidies measures adopted […]

China confirms anti-state-subsidy investigation on EU wine imports

Yesterday, only a few days after the European Commission decided to impose provisional anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese solar panels imported in the EU, the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union issued a Press release where the spokesperson of the Mission confirmed that the Ministry of Commerce of China, in response […]

EU imposes provisional anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese solar panels

Today the European Commission has decided to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of solar panels, cells and wafers from China. The relevant Press releaese goes like that,”This decision follows a thorough and serious investigation and extended contacts with market players. As the market for and imports of solar panels in the EU is very […]

Commission’s action against imports from China questioned

According to European Commission’s procedures, the legal dead line for a decision to be taken on the imposition or not of provisional tariffs on European imports of Chinese solar panels, expires tomorrow 5 June. It must be noted however that the EU Trade Spokesman John Clancy, when issuing a Press release on 27 May noted […]

Germany to help China in trade disputes with Brussels

The visit of the new Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of China and party secretary of the State Council, Li Keqiang to Germany paid tangible dividends. After meeting with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel he got an official and public promise from her that Berlin will intervene in the Brussels procedures, to cool down […]

Commission threatens Chinese firms with trade penalties

European Union Trade Commissioner, Karel De Gucht, announced yesterday that, “The European Commission has today taken a decision in principle to open an ex officio anti-dumping and an anti-subsidy investigation concerning imports of mobile telecommunications networks and their essential elements from China”. Without naming individual firms this Commission decision is directly targeted against two international […]
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