China's shipments of hi-tech goods to EU surge as its exports to US plunge
China's shipments of hi-tech goods to the
European Union went into overdrive last month, coinciding with a big drop in exports of the same goods to the US, suggesting that the superpower
trade and
tech wars could be affecting trade with Europe.
Calculations based on recently published Chinese trade data showed that China in May exported huge amounts of batteries, laptops,
smartphones and solar panels to the 27-member bloc, sending import numbers for some countries to unprecedented levels.
China's exports to Estonia soared 79.4 per cent in May compared to last year, and for Cyprus the number was 70.5 per cent, with 46.7 per cent in Bulgaria and 42 per cent in Hungary.
The boom continued in bigger EU markets as France's imports shot up 24.2 per cent, Germany's 21.72 per cent and Sweden's 20.4 per cent.
With many EU markets enduring falling exports to China, the cumulative impact was a 22 per cent increase in the union's trade deficit with the world's second-largest economy in May.
Lithium-ion battery exports across the EU surged by 52 per cent from a year earlier. Photo: Shutterstock
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
28 minutes ago
- RTHK
EU divided on suspected Israeli rights breaches
EU divided on suspected Israeli rights breaches Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas says she will discuss with Israel a review that found indications of human rights breaches. Photo: Reuters The European Union's top diplomat said on Monday she would take up concerns over suspected human rights breaches by Israel with its government, as talks in Brussels underscored divisions within the bloc over how to influence Israeli actions in Gaza. Kaja Kallas said her priority was to improve the humanitarian situation in the enclave amid concern in European capitals over Israeli operations there. The EU's diplomatic service said in a report on Friday that there were indications that Israel had breached its human rights obligations under the terms of a pact governing its ties with the bloc. Israel's foreign ministry has rejected the EU report as a "moral and methodological failure". "I will now address the results of the review with Israel," Kallas said at a news conference following a meeting of European foreign ministers. "Our first goal is to change the situation on the ground and help humanitarian aid get in," Kallas said. Kallas said she would revisit the issue in July if there had been no improvement. The report includes a section dedicated to the situation in Gaza, covering issues related to the denial of humanitarian aid, attacks on hospitals and medical facilities, displacement, and a lack of accountability. "It is not intended to punish Israel, but to trigger concrete improvements for the people and the lives of people in Gaza," Kallas said. Under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which came into force in 2000, the EU and Israel agreed that their relationship "shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles". EU nations were split over how to respond to the report. Spain called for the suspension of the agreement with Israel, while others opposed such a move. "This is the time for action," Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said, calling for an arms embargo and sanctions on individuals who undermine the possibility of a two-state solution. Others, including Germany and Italy, expressed hope the report could help shift Israel's policies. "I think this can be a chance to put further pressure on Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter," Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said. (Reuters)
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
China not seen as likely to use navy to secure Hormuz Strait
China is highly unlikely to use its navy to secure the vital Strait of Hormuz if Iran threatens to close it as Middle East tensions rise, a top US analyst told reporters Monday. Although China depends heavily on Middle Eastern oil, its approach would be shaped by quiet negotiations and self-interest, not direct military intervention, Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank, said. He pointed to attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in the Red Sea last year, when Beijing reached an agreement with the group to spare Chinese-flagged vessels. 'China acted, but it just cut a separate deal with the Houthis,' Fontaine said. Its focus, he added, was 'protecting its own interests' rather than policing global waterways. Play Although about 16 per cent of China's seaborne crude came from Iran in early 2025, CNAS analysts said its approach would remain shaped by long-standing economic interests.
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Contrary to naysayers, Hong Kong's national security law is working well
With the enactment of Hong Kong's national security law on June 30, 2020, acts of collusion with foreign countries to endanger national security, secession, subversion and terrorist activity were criminalised. As discussed at a recent forum to mark the law's fifth anniversary , the 'one country, two systems' policy has operated smoothly since. The national security law has been applied throughout with great restraint by the authorities, with prosecutions only resulting when absolutely necessary. Between July 1, 2020 and May 1, 2025, 185 people and five companies were prosecuted for offences in connection with endangering national security, including under the national security law, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance passed last year and the now-repealed sedition offence under the Crimes Ordinance. About 170 people and one company have finished court proceedings, with most defendants convicted. These figures give the lie to foreign claims that thousands have been indicted. Moreover, the conviction rate of over 95 per cent in national security trials shows great care is being taken in investigating these cases and prosecuting them. As elsewhere in the common law world, the courts can only convict defendants if satisfied of their guilt beyond reasonable doubt; the conviction rate illustrates the strength of the cases they have tried. As the national security law contains new procedures, there were concerns over how these could be integrated into the legal system. However, the courts have sensibly interpreted the national security law in ways that are equitable and realistic.
