De Chinese Wouden, woensdag 9 juli: Europese moeilijkheden

Jul 08, 2025

Het lijkt erop dat de betrekkingen tussen China en Europa verder gaan verslechteren deze zomer. Maandag schreef ik al over het opvallend expliciete college Chinese belangen in Rusland-Oekraïne van minister Wang Yi aan Kaja Kallas. Naast een verder gaande verharding in Brussel is er ook onrust in Duitsland.

Berlijn heeft de Chinese ambassadeur ontboden nadat de Chinese strijdkrachten een Duits patrouillevliegtuig met laser zouden hebben lastiggevallen. Dit gebeurde niet in door China geclaimde wateren, zoals ‘gebruikelijk’. Het betrof een Duitse deelname aan de EU-missie ASPIDES die het handelsverkeer in de Rode Zee veilig moet stellen. Dit is in die regio, waar China in Djibouti een steunpunt heeft, eerder al gebeurd met Amerikaanse vliegtuigen. Deze context is wel uniek.

Von der Leyen hield een duidelijke toespraak over China in het Europees Parlement. De tijdelijke toegefelijkheid van begin dit jaar is echt verdwenen. Ze noemde o.a. de manier waarop Peking Ruslands oorlog helpt. De Commissievoorzitter wees drie focusgebieden aan: herbalanceren van de economische relatie, de-risken en mondiale vraagstukken zoals klimaat. Drie van de twee zijn negatief voor Peking en op klimaat wil volgens het FT Brussel geen voorgestelde gezamenlijke verklaring met China ondertekenen totdat Peking eindelijk substantiële toezeggingen doet.

De toon bevestigt het breder gedeelde pessimisme over de richting van de relatie. Daar komen nieuwe irritaties bij. Italië heeft een Chinese staatsburger gearresteerd op verzoek van de VS in een spionagezaak. De Franse inlichtingendiensten beschuldigen China ervan te proberen het Franse jachtvliegtuig Rafale zwart te maken. De regering van Oekraïne heeft nieuwe sancties uitgevaardigd op Chinese bedrijven voor het leveren van drone-onderdelen aan Rusland. Bloomberg heeft details over de manier waarop zulke onderdelen vanuit China naar Rusland gaan.

Wat voor een top wordt dat precies straks in Peking? Op deze manier zou het wel eens kunnen eindigen met een Chinese poging op de EU eens goed duidelijk te maken waar Europa volgens China staat.

Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺

German government condemns China for targeting German aircraft with laser in EU operation ASPIDES – Reuters: ‘Germany summoned the Chinese ambassador to the foreign ministry on Tuesday after saying China’s military had targeted with a laser a German aircraft taking part in an EU operation called ASPIDES which aims to protect maritime security.’ 🇩🇪🇪🇺
Laser-Einsatz gegen deutsches Flugzeug: Regierung bestellt China-Botschafter ein – Bild: „Die Attacke fand bereits am 02. Juli in der Nähe der Küste des Jemen statt. Bei einem Routineflug im Rahmen der EU-Mission ASPIDES wurde eine deutsche Aufklärungsmaschine über dem Roten Meer ohne Vorwarnung von einem chinesischen Kriegsschiff mit einem Laser geblendet.“ 🇩🇪🇪🇺
Dit is ver van Chinese territoriale claims. ASPIDES moet de zeehandel tussen Azië en Europa veiligstellen, dus is just belangrijk voor de Chinese economie.

Von der Leyen sets stage for contentious China summit – POLITICO Europe: ‘In a statement to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Von der Leyen stressed that “our relations with China must be rooted in a clear-eyed assessment of the new reality.”’ 🇪🇺
Von der Leyen deepens gloom over China-EU summit with attack on Beijing’s Russia stance – SCMP: ‘While stories appeared in Chinese state media last weekend suggesting that a deal to end a long-running feud over electric vehicle tariffs was imminent, senior EU sources said they were “not true”.’ 🇪🇺
Speech by President von der Leyen at the EP plenary joint debate on EU-China relations – European Commission: ‘China has always been one of the great global civilisations. But in the last fifty years, it has also become one of the great global powers.’
‘We, the EU and China, are two of the three largest economic and trade powers in the world. But we only trade some EUR 2 billion worth every day. That is only twice the volume we are trading with Switzerland. Because – while the Chinese market is enormous – our access to the market remains limited.’
‘There are three priorities on which we need to focus on. First, rebalancing our economic relationship with China. Second, derisking. And third, advancing diplomacy on global issues, including climate.’ 🇪🇺

EU and China stand-off over climate action before Xi and von der Leyen meet – FT: ‘EU officials said Beijing had made multiple requests for a declaration on their mutual climate commitment following a late-July summit’
‘Brussels had refused to agree on a communiqué unless China pledged greater efforts to cut its greenhouse gas emissions.’ 🇪🇺
China ready to work with the EU on global climate governance efforts, foreign ministry spokesperson says – Xinhua: ‘when responding to European proposals [sic] for enhanced China-EU collaboration on energy transition and green, low-carbon development, which were raised during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Europe.’ 🇪🇺
Wordt dit weer zo’n geval waarin Peking uitlegt dat China beter begrijpt wat de EU wil dan de EU zelf?
‘Pessimistic’: Ukraine war, trade expected to mar progress at China-EU summit this month – SCMP: ‘European Union envoys to China say they have low expectations of any substantial achievement at the coming EU-China summit’ 🇪🇺

New German chancellor Merz set for first China visit later this year, source says – Reuters: ‘with a delegation of top business executives’ 🇩🇪

A l’Assemblée nationale, l’embarrassant rapport de Sophia Chikirou (LFI) sur la Chine – Le Monde : « Pour un diplomate européen, ‹ quand elle découvrira le rapport, l’ambassade chinoise va être ravie d’enfoncer un coin dans la position française › . » 🇫🇷
Een Franse parlementariër van de anti-westerse linkse partij La France insoumise van Jean-Luc Mélenchon heeft een pro-Peking rapport over de betrekkingen China-EU door de kamercommissie Europese zaken daar gekregen. Nu is er ophef.

French intelligence: China used embassies to undermine sales of France’s flagship Rafale fighter jet – AP 🇫🇷

Italy arrests alleged Chinese hacker after US issues warrant – FT: ‘suspected of being linked to a state-sponsored hacking group that sought to steal Covid-19 vaccine secrets from the US’ 🇮🇹

German pension fund KZVK has tapped a Chinese firm’s Hong Kong arm to help it invest in local stocks, in a rare move among global allocators – Bloomberg 🇩🇪

Ukraine sanctions 5 Chinese firms for supplying components used in Russian drones – Kyiv Independent 🇺🇦

Russia capitalised on its friendly ties with Beijing to skirt Western sanctions and acquire from China the know-how and capability to build drones to attack Ukraine – Bloomberg: ‘a Russian delegation traveled to China to meet with representatives of the Harbin Comprehensive Bonded Zone and companies linked to the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT)’ 🇷🇺

Wereldhandelsoorlog 📉💥

Nieuwe importbeperkingen in China: Philips zet in op lokaal produceren in China voor minder impact – Eindhovens Dagblad 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Siemens Healthineers does not expect China restrictions to affect business – Reuters 🇩🇪🇪🇺

China’s rare earth export controls are good for Beijing, bad for business – Reuters: ‘driving down magnet makers’ offshore sales at the same time as they face pressure from a weak economy and tough times in one of their key markets – EVs.’

German exports fall more than expected in May as US tariffs hit – Reuters 🇩🇪🇺🇸

Chinese premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 calls for commitment to building open world economy – Xinhua: ‘When addressing the plenary sessions of the 17th BRICS Summit on Sunday and Monday, Li stressed the need to maintain stability and smoothness of industrial and supply chains.’
China ready to work with international community to get world economy back on track, says Premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 – Xinhua: ‘when meeting with Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit.’

China steps up economic monitoring, looking to head off worst-case scenarios – SCMP: ‘The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) is soliciting studies’

VS-China 🇨🇳

Exclusive: China’s central bank asks financial institutions about dollar weakness, sources say – Reuters: ‘Another source directly involved in the survey said it seemed to be an assessment of the dollar's outlook as trade negotiations with the U.S. progress.’ 🇺🇸

VS-wereld 🌏

Trump kondigt zijn heffingen opnieuw aan, nu in brieven aan handelspartners: 25 procent voor Japan en Zuid-Korea – NRC 🇺🇸
Asean countries reel from Trump’s fresh tariff threats – Nikkei Asia: ‘Chinese exporters have increasingly moved final assembly or even finished goods to third countries, primarily in Southeast Asia’

Taiwan-US tariff talks still ongoing, economics affairs minister Kuo Jyh-huei 郭智輝 says – Focus Taiwan: ‘offered no new updates’
Taiwan’s exports boom is becoming a flashpoint in trade relations with Washington and a growing risk for the economy – Bloomberg

Techoorlog 💽💥

When stars align: Leveraging European defence budgets to drive a dual-use tech boom – EUISS 🇪🇺

Berlin explores €4bn subsidies for German heavy industry – FT 🇩🇪

Huawei 华为’s secretive AI research lab has pushed back against accusations it relied on rivals’ models to develop its own Pangu platform, taking the unusual step of rebutting claims about its AI efforts – Bloomberg

Third of chip production could face climate change related copper supply disruptions by 2035, PwC report says – Reuters

Can China’s unused data centres get a second life? – Sixth Tone

Foxconn 鴻海 EV tie-up could save Nissan 日産’s Japan supply chain – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵

Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️

Xinhua Commentary: Echoes of Marco Polo Bridge — China’s unforgettable contributions to World Anti-Fascist War victory – Xinhua: ‘China played an indispensable role in the World Anti-Fascist War, and [its] fight started the earliest and lasted the longest.’
‘Through its contributions and sacrifices during the war, China earned its status as a victorious nation of WWII and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Therefore, the rights China holds as a WWII victor should be respected and not challenged, especially concerning Taiwan's restoration to China, which was an integral part of the post-war international order.’

Europe’s biggest port readies for potential war with Russia – FT: ‘Rotterdam has started reserving space for Nato supply ships and planning military exercises’ 🇳🇱

China willing to share military equipment achievements with friendly countries, defence ministry says – Xinhua

Overige

China buitenland en defensie

Trump vows bigger tariffs for ‘anti-American’ policies as China calls for Brics cohesion – SCMP 🇺🇸

Philippines summons China envoy over sanctions vs Marcos ally Tolentino – Rappler 🇵🇭

Why China’s ultimatum to Myanmar rebels threatens global supply of heavy rare earths – Reuters: ‘has threatened to halt buying the minerals mined in KIA-controlled territory unless the militia stops trying to seize full control of Bhamo, according to three people familiar with the matter.’ 🇲🇲

Xinhua to enhance cooperation with Singapore Press Holdings Media – Xinhua: ‘Fu said Xinhua is ready to work with SPH Media to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries’
‘Chan said that under the guidance of the leaders of the two countries, SPH Media is willing to work with Xinhua’ 🇸🇬
Mijn formulering is altijd beleefd genuanceerd dat het Singaporese The Straits Times ‘indirect overheidsgecontroleerd’ is, maar hier echoot de baas wel heel erg direct tegenhanger van staatspersbureau Xinhua…

Chinese Vice Premier Hé Lìfēng 何立峰 to visit Osaka-Kansai Expo, in possible attempt at warming relations – The Yomiuri Shimbun 🇯🇵

Chinese sellers offer North Korea-sourced goods from across the border – NK News: ‘Chinese e-commerce vendors appear to be openly selling North Korean goods and offering to smuggle products on demand as part of what one expert said may constitute a government-sanctioned scheme to violate U.N. sanctions.’ 🇰🇵

Australia’s PM Albanese confirms China visit as Beijing eyes trade deal review – Reuters 🇦🇺

International Deep Space Exploration Association launched in China – Xinhua

China economie

Beijing criticises Chinese manufacturers over price war as deflation fears mount – FT: ‘The mounting chorus of official concern has stoked speculation that Beijing is preparing to unveil for a bout of “supply side reform”’
Chinese government eyes steps to ease solar panel industry price war – Nikkei Asia: ‘Li did not mention specific measures, but said that the government “will encourage an orderly exit for lagging production capacity.”’

China’s trade war strategy? Bet on Guizhou, long one of its poorest provinces – SCMP: ‘Guizhou now counts on the “strategic hinterland strategy”, introduced during a policymaking conference in December 2023.’ ‘has drawn widespread comparisons to China’s Third Line Construction Project’
Kritiekloze berichtgeving is een voorbeeld van de manier waarop SCMP soms Xinhua-achtig opereert tegenwoordig.

China has already seen LNG imports falling steadily since the end of last year, as spot purchases became uneconomic for small private importers – Bloomberg

China binnenland

Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 stresses transforming resource-based economy and advancing Chinese modernisation during Shanxi inspection tour – Xinhua: ‘traditional manufacturing is an important part of the real economy’

China marks 88th anniversary of whole-nation resistance against Japanese aggression – Xinhua: ‘Cai Qi, […], delivered a speech at the event and announced the opening of the exhibition.’

Wuhan mayor best known for defending city’s slow response to Covid faces corruption probe – SCMP: ‘Zhou Xianwang was being investigated for suspected “serious violations of discipline and law” – the standard euphemism for corruption.’

Belangrijke brug tussen Nepal en China weggespoeld, 18 mensen vermist – NOS 🇳🇵

Meer dan 200 kinderen ziek door lood in voedsel kinderdagverblijf China – NOS