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South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Why EU stance on Taiwan is a growing cause of concern for mainland China
This year marks half a century of formal diplomatic relations between China and the European Union as well as the 25th anniversary of the founding of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. In this, the fourth part of the series, Shi Jiangtao looks at how the issue of Taiwan is overshadowing the relationship. As mainland China and the European Union mark 50 years of diplomatic ties, there is growing concern in Beijing that the bloc may be undermining its one-China policy, as Brussels – and some individual member states in particular – expand informal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Historically viewed as a diplomatic formality, Taiwan has gained increasing prominence in Beijing's relations with the EU over the past decade. This has complicated Brussels' efforts to balance between economic partnerships with Beijing, strategic alignment with Washington, and growing unofficial trade and cultural ties with Taipei. After establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing in 1975, all member states of the European Economic Community – the precursor to the EU – formally recognised Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China, a stance now mirrored by most of the world. This commitment, routinely reaffirmed in subsequent high-level exchanges, has long been seen by Beijing as a major diplomatic red line. It regards the issue as both a gauge of the EU's adherence to the one-China policy and a litmus test of Brussels' much-touted drive for strategic autonomy amid intensifying US-China rivalry. In recent years, however, several European countries have expanded ties with Taipei, seeking to actively reinterpret their one-China policy – distinguishing it from Beijing's one-China principle, even as Brussels has stepped up efforts to 'de-risk' its relationship with mainland China.
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China's high-speed jet drone, Trump shrugs off Latin American moves: SCMP daily highlights
Catch up on some of SCMP's biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing In an aviation tech breakthrough that could change naval warfare, Chinese aerospace engineers have unveiled what could be the world's first high-speed vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone powered by a jet engine. After six months of steady improvement, China's economy showed signs of strain in July, with several headline indicators losing momentum amid a weakening of domestic consumption, headwinds from the US trade war and a prolonged property downturn. President Donald Trump said the US was 'doing better than any other country in the world right now'. Photo: EPA US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was not worried about Brazil, Mexico and other Latin American nations moving closer to China, telling reporters in the Oval Office, 'They can do whatever they want.'
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China rises up ‘elite quality' league table as AI investment booms
Thanks to its combined strengths in artificial intelligence and manufacturing, China rose two places to rank 19th out of 151 countries in the 2025 Elite Quality Index – a Swiss study that assesses the extent to which national elites create sustainable value for their nations. Advertisement Singapore topped this year's rankings, followed by the United States and Switzerland, in the annual report produced by the Foundation for Value Creation Activities in partnership with the University of St. Gallen. Asian economies performed strongly overall, with Japan maintaining fourth place and South Korea rising to fifth. In contrast, several European countries including the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland fell down the rankings this year. 'China ranks at 19th in the index, up two places from last year, maintaining its upward trend in Elite Quality and an outcome that is particularly commendable given the dramatic changes in the global economic order,' the report said. The index assessed 151 countries based on 149 indicators, which are designed to gauge the overall impact of elite business models in terms of creating positive value or engaging in negative rent-seeking behaviour. Advertisement China scored particularly highly in the AI value creation sub-index, placing fourth behind the US, Singapore and South Korea. This year's report increased the number of AI indicators from two to seven based on the industry's growing importance as a source of value creation. Zhang Jun, dean of the School of Economics at Shanghai's Fudan University, said China's rise in the rankings showed that its elite-led model of governance had been effective in promoting the country's economic development.
