Did China's Xi Jinping expose disunity in Europe?
The Chinese president's visit to Europe yielded little breakthrough on issues like trade and Ukraine. But it did show that Beijing prefers to work one-on-one to avoid collective opposition to its interests.
Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a high-profile European tour on Friday amid concerns in Europe over Chinese support for Russia's war in Ukraine and European markets being flooded with cheap Chinese electric vehicles.
Xi's first visit to the region since 2019 also comes amid growing suspicions that China is seeking to take advantage of divisions in Europe. And analysts pointed out that Xi's itinerary was no coincidence.
Bertram Lang, a research associate at Goethe University in Frankfurt who specializes in China's foreign policy, said that the countries on Xi's tour — France, Serbia and Hungary — all have "special bilateral relationships" with Beijing.
Lang added that the Chinese leadership has gradually divided Europe into two groups, "those friendly and unfriendly to China." And this trip aimed to emphasize relationships with the former.
Xi pressed on trade imbalance in France
Xi began his tour in France, where his two-day state visit and talks with French President Emmanuel Macron focused on the war in Ukraine and trade imbalances with the EU.
While China and Xi prefer engagement at a bilateral level, Macron sought to demonstrate European unity by including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who recently concluded a visit to China, was invited to Paris but did not attend. However, Scholz and Macron met ahead of Xi's visit on May 2 to touch base on China policy.
In Paris, Von der Leyen's public remarks took direct aim at what she called China's "market distortion practices" with massive subsidies for electric vehicle and steel industries.
China has been criticized for "overcapacity" and dumping underpriced products into EU and US markets.
The European Commission announced that it would launch anti-subsidy probes into Chinese electric vehicles and solar panels to determine whether to impose punitive tariffs on them.
During the trilateral meeting in Paris, von der Leyen told Xi that Europe "will not waver from making tough decisions needed to protect its economy and security."
India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, says Modi
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
COP26: What climate summit means for one woman in Bangladesh
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Why China's climate policy matters to us all
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.