On Sunday, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi outlined a sweeping vision for 2026 as a landmark year for China's international relations while warning against global trade barriers and the weaponization of economic ties. While emphasizing the importance of stabilizing ties with the United States ahead of a high

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz just finished his two-day state visit to China this week with both sides vowing to deepen economic ties while airing sharp differences over trade imbalances, security concerns and fair competition.

Concluding his visit to China under the shadow of concerns about persistent trade imbalances, French President Emmanuel Macron oversaw the signing of new bilateral agreements, including a document to promote investment and a pact focused on agri-food trade.

Yesterday, officials at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) held a roundtable discussion on semiconductor supply chains with European and Chinese companies and trade associations, emphasizing the importance of cooperation amidst China's new export control rules and indicating a potential relaxation of restrictions for EU-linked supply chains.

At the Munich Security Conference, one of the most prominent political gatherings focused on international security policy, China's Foreign Minister articulated Beijing’s vision for global cooperation while also addressing concerns over rising protectionism and unilateralism.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Beijing this week, where she talked about balancing bilateral trade and investment, and signed sectoral agreements in a number of areas, including electric vehicles and renewable energy.

Starting in July, Türkiye will extend the 40% additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to other kinds of vehicles, despite the fact that China has questioned the WTO-consistency of the tariff hike on various occasions.