{
  "id": 19332078,
  "title": "Europe urgently needs solidarity on China",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/europe-urgently-needs-solidarity-on-china",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-10T12:30:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3373738/europe-urgently-needs-solidarity-china"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier recently returned from China, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz had visited Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul in a bid to lessen Germany’s reliance on China. Steinmeier's visit was described as a \"European\" tour. In October, Merz and France's President Emmanuel Macron secured support from EU leaders for new trade weapons, including one that could potentially exclude a country from Europe's single market in extreme cases. Germany is now seeking sharper measures from the EU, seeking alternatives to China and dispatching its leader to meet with President Xi Jinping. The EU's China policy is said to have two pillars, but Beijing views it differently. Ding Chun, a Chinese analyst, warns that the EU's policy could be strong at the top but weak at the bottom. Chinese analysts categorize the bloc into protectionists, nervous exporters, and governments seeking Chinese factories. Steinmeier's visit reinforced that Germany's de-risking is a bilateral position. Despite Viktor Orban being voted out of power, EU leaders still prefer to avoid naming China during their meetings. Disunity among EU members is seen as a rational response to coercion, which targets individual members while distributing costs unevenly. For example, Lithuania lost 90% of its shipments to mainland China following Taiwan's office opening in Beijing, and the Netherlands faced export losses after seizing control of a Chinese chipmaker. The EU's trade deficit with China reached €360 billion in 2025, with every member state running a deficit. Disunity among EU members is a response to selective pressure from Beijing, which singles out certain countries while spreading costs unevenly.",
  "summary": "Last month, Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier left for his first state visit to China since 2018, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz took off for Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul on a tour meant to reduce German dependence on China. Steinmeier’s office let it be known he was travelling “as a European”. Earlier in October, Merz and France’s President Emmanuel Macron won the backing of fellow EU…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}