EU-China trade summit will begin amid discord
Yet the gesture was not enough to win Beijing over, as points of friction have continued to crop up between the two parties. Not only was the summit, which had originally been planned as a 48-hour event, cut down to a single day in the Chinese capital city, but it is also unlikely to conclude with any joint statements being adopted, except, perhaps, one on climate change. Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP30, which will take place in Belem, Brazil, from November 10-21, both parties have an interest in showing a united front on climate issues, at a time when the United States is gearing up to officially exit the Paris Agreement for a second time.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Euronews
37 minutes ago
- Euronews
EU-US trade deal will come with consequences, German industries warn
While European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised a trade agreement signed between the EU and US on Sunday as a stabilising factor "in uncertain times," representatives of the German economy have expressed concern. Von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump struck a tentative trade deal to avert a potentially devastating tariff war between two of the world's largest economies on Sunday. The majority of EU exports bound for the US will be subject to a 15% tariff. According to a statement made by von der Leyen, this also includes billions of euros in EU investments in the US, as well as the purchase of defence equipment. Tariffs of 15% will now apply to car exports to the US, compared to the previously announced 25%. Import duties on steel are to remain unchanged at 50%. The German economy can breathe a sigh of relief for the time being, according to Managing Director of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce Helena Melnikov. Melnikov said that worse has been prevented, however, "the deal has its price, and this price is also at the expense of the German and European economies." Wolfgang Niedermark from the Federation of German Industries was more critical. He stated that even a tariff rate of 15% would have an "immense negative impact" on Germany's export-oriented industry. The Federal Association of Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Service also spoke of a "painful compromise" and warned that supply chains would change and prices would rise, saying the deal will cost Germany growth, prosperity and jobs. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was satisfied with Sunday's agreement, wrote on X that the deal showed it was possible to "avert a trade conflict". However, a review of Trump's actions to date raises doubts about the reliability of the agreement and the US president's words. In an interview with the Funke media group, Michael Hüther, director of the Institute for the German Economy, said that concerns remained as Trump had never completely taken tariff threats off the table.


AFP
an hour ago
- AFP
False update about China travel policy for Pakistanis spreads online
"China has removed Pakistan from the list of visa-free countries," reads a post on X published on July 14, 2025. The post carries a graphic of Chinese President Xi Jinping holding a list of countries titled "Visa-Free Countries". Text on the graphic says: "China just announced 'visa-free entry for 74 countries' but 'Pakistan didn't make the list." It also shares a link to a website. Image Screenshot of the false X post taken on July 22, 2025, with a red 'X' added by AFP Similar posts also surfaced on Threads and Facebook. A keyword search on Google found the latest lists published in July detailing visa exemptions granted by China to foreign citizens holding valid ordinary passports visiting for business, tourism, family or friends visits, exchange and transit (archived here and here). Compared with a previous list on May 22, the only change is to grant visa-free access to four more countries announced on June 9. No countries have been removed, and Pakistan has not been on the earlier lists (archived link). It is also not covered in China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy, according to the National Immigration Agency (archived link). Visa-free access to China is only given to Pakistani citizens holding diplomatic or official passports (archived link). China is Pakistan's largest arms supplier and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar confirmed that Islamabad used Chinese jets in the conflict with India in May (archived link).


Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
Lead MEP says EU should skip 2040 emissions targets
The EU's 2040 emission reduction target is 'simply not necessary' and should be rejected, the Czech MEP responsible for steering the proposal through the Parliament has told Euronews in an interview. Ondrej Knotek is a member of the far-right Patriots for Europe (PfE) group and was appointed as rapporteur to steer through the Parliament a Climate Law amendment setting the 2040 goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The European Commission formally proposed a 90% carbon emissions reduction target by 2040 in an amendment to its Climate Law earlier in July, as a pathway to achieving zero emissions by 2050. Knotek said that when drafting the Parliament's position on the file in the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI), he will push to reject the Commission's proposal entirely, without proposing any alternative emissions reduction target. 'The 2040 target is an addition to the two existing targets, that is simply not necessary,' he said, referring to the EU's final goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and the intermediate target of a 55% reduction by 2030. Knotek believes the EU has already done much more than its global competitors to combat global warming, and argues that the risks for the European economy and citizens are 'much higher' than the potential contributions to global climate change mitigation. 'Let's wait for the others to have the same two legally binding targets, let's wait for the others to have this third target, and then we can accompany. No one says that Europe needs to be the flagship,' he said. Beyond the 2040 target, Knotek also challenges the entire Green Deal, the EU's long-term plan to reach climate neutrality by 2050. 'The target as such looked realistic in 2020, but now, after five years, we know that very probably it is not so much realistic,' he said, calling for a 'strong recalibration' of the EU's commitments. 'The correct reaction to the climate change is to reduce the emissions in a sustainable, and even slow way [...] We don't have to invest into faster reduction of emissions, but into the so-called adaptation to the climate change. The role of adaptation should be much higher than the reduction of greenhouse gases.' A clash foreseen on the Climate Law Ondrej Knotek will be supported by his political group, PfE, which strongly opposes EU climate action, and likely by other right-wing parties in Parliament. But dismantling this signature EU climate policy will not be an easy task. Knotek's appointment, which results from a complex allotment system giving large groups control over important files, has already triggered backlash from leftist and centrist members of Parliament. Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, the Greens/EFA, and The Left will advocate for maintaining the 2040 target. Therefore, the Parliament's position on the file will depend on the choice of the largest group, the European People's Party (EPP). 'EPP MEPs are split on this issue. I am convinced that if they are left to vote freely, the majority of them would be against the 2040 target,' Knotek said. The Czech MEP believes his EPP colleagues will follow the direction of their leader, Manfred Weber. 'In the EPP, if you do not follow the line, you are sidelined and do not get any missions. So, if there would be a secret vote, they could distract, otherwise they stick to the line.' Knotek's report will be voted in the ENVI committee on September 23. Others MEPs from the same committee have until September 8 to add amendments. Parliament's plenary session has then to confirm the outcome in the second week of October. After the vote in Parliament, however, the provision must be negotiated with the EU's 27 member states, which are set to adopt a common position in the Council. Some including France and Poland have already expressed scepticism about the proposal. The timing of negotiations is sensitive, as the Commission hoped to have the 2040 target enshrined in law ahead of the COP30 international climate conference in Brazil, which takes place in November.