In a speech yesterday on international affairs, Micheál Martin, the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, laid out his vision for the Irish and EU relationship with China.

A new report by a pair of scholars looks at Chinese lending in Latin America and the Caribbean, concluding that while loan amounts remain low by historical standards, the increase in lending this year "is indicative of continued Chinese interest in establishing strong diplomatic ties across the region."

Two Republican Senators are pressing the Biden administration to ramp up its efforts to counter China's global influence, by calling on the administration to formulate a "grand strategy" for China.

In a speech at a Canadian foreign affairs school yesterday, Canada's foreign minister made a number of remarks about Canada's approach to dealing with China, and warned Canadian businesses about the risks of doing business there.

A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators has introduced legislation that would "establish a China Grand Strategy Commission tasked with developing a comprehensive whole-of-government approach for how the United States should address the economic, security, and diplomatic challenges posed by China."

In a foreign policy speech on July 7, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave a foreign policy speech that touched on several trade and foreign policy topics related to China.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave a long-awaited speech on the Biden administration's general foreign policy approach toward China, which, not surprisingly, triggered some responses from Chinese officials and scholars. The parts of the speech and the responses relating to trade and investment are summarized below.