Finbarr Bermingham

Spying case collapsed after UK refused to label China a ‘threat’, prosecutors say Crown Prosecution Service had charged two Britons with espionage offences

UK Crown Prosecution Service says that a case involving alleged Chinese espionage in parliament collapsed after the government refused to provide evidence that China was a threat to national security.

www.ft.com/content/4ea5...

Finally getting around to finishing Borgen Power & Glory.

Chinese ambassador being summoned by Danish foreign minister over a Chinese military drone launched over Greenland from a Russian base is just 🤯

Europe hunts for chokepoints it can weaponise in a new age of economic warfare Bureaucrats look for leverage against coercion from Beijing and Washington but what would it take for Brussels to act?

“How can we move from a reactive attitude to a proactive attitude, one where we are not just trying to protect ourselves against weaknesses, but where we are also leveraging our strength?”

Superb reporting from @fbermingham.bsky.social once again 3/3

www.scmp.com/news/china/a...

🙏🙏

Asked if this is a "new era of protectionism"

Sejourne: "We don't like tariffs and tariff-led industrial policy... I don't think it's the commission being protectionist, it is the others which are closing off and we have to protect our own sovereignty, and our jobs."

Sejourne: "We will certainly be discussing safeguard measures" in industries where "the issue of overcapacity has come up"

"It's a question of justice for our industrialists."

Sejourne mentions chemicals and other sectors in which Commission has done action plans

"There are various sectors facing the same difficulties, the chemical sector and all the sectors where we've had an action plan, where our respective departments and the European Commission have worked"

Sefcovic:

"I want to assure everyone we are not taking this decision lightly. We are for free and fair trade. We are for balanced relationship. But if our economy is affected by global overcapacity, which is often funded by illegal subsidies or not transparent trade flows, then we have to act"

Sefcovic hints more probes on the way against China!

"We are of course looking at other sectors that are most affected by trade volatility and if need be, we would be acting also in in other sectors."

Sefco asked if there will be more tariffs in non-security related tariffs (clothing) to counter Chinese dumping

He says the problem has been aggravated by Trump's tariffs and trade diversion related to that.

Sefco:

"First and foremost, we are not closing our market with upfront 50% tariff. What we are doing is continuing to trade with our partners, with a very clear quota"

@joebarnes.bsky.social gets a chuckle from Sefcovic for asking if the EU is being hypocritical for following Trump's approach on steel

"I respectfully disagree with your description of our measures because we proceeded in in different way than the US."

Sefcovic:

"The approach of the US is towards tackling global overcapacity and protecting the steel industry. I hope we are clearly pointing out that we are taking taking on the challenge of global overcapacities ourselves as well and that it would be much more efficient if we do it together"

Asked why the US has not yet been interested in setting up a steel alliance to counter Chinese overcapacity, Sefcovic:

"I think that's a very good question"

Sefcovic:

"The discussion was that we should ringfence our markets against global overcapacity.... we will, of course, inform our American partners about these measures, and I hope this would help us start the discussion on ringfencing"

Sefcovic say they're hoping these tariffs will open the door to a discussion on "ringfencing" with the US, so EU steelmakers can get lower tariffs in the US.

Sefcovic: "It is quite clear we are not each other's problem... we supply the US with highly specialised steel."

Sefcovic:

"On top of this, third countries are closing off their markets. They are raising tariffs, introducing safeguards, while the EU market remains largely open and under intense import pressure."

Sefcovic: it's not just China

This is no longer just a one country issue. The global overcapacity crisis is reaching critical levels."

Says the global overcapacity is now five times the annual EU demand.

EU open to negotiating deals with other countries to lower tariffs. Sounds familiar...

Press conference now going on with commissioners Sejourne + Sefcovic

Eight minutes into Sejourne's intervention and he has said basically nothing. I've rarely encountered someone who uses so many words to say so little - a dangerous overcapacity in words...

Eyeing China, EU unveils sweeping measures to shield struggling steel industry If approved, plan tackling overcapacity would slash tariff-free quotas by nearly half and double duties on excess shipments to 50 per cent.

New: European Commission has unveiled sweeping measures to shield the EU’s struggling steel industry from a flood of overcapacity it says is emanating from China, slashing tariff-free quotas by nearly half and doubling duties on excess shipments to 50%

China "removed one of US' most effective talking points, conceding little of substance... kind of manoeuvre Mao envisioned in strategic defence: avoid direct clash you can't win, yield ground where loss is minimal, reframe battlefield in terms that favour your long-term position"

Opinion | China’s WTO concession only marks phase one of a protracted campaign In one move, Beijing gets to disarm Washington of a rhetorical weapon while maintaining the mantle of leadership within the Global South.

Super interesting op-ed by Dominik Mierzejewski comparing China's relinquishing WTO developing country status to Mao's theory of protracted war

"By giving up special and differential treatment benefits, China has executed a tactical retreat"

Jonathan Powell to face MPs over role in collapse of espionage trial National security adviser to answer questions over abandonment of a major Chinese spying case against two Britons

Jonathan Powell will appear before parliament in a private hearing, for the first time amid questions about his role in the collapse of a trial of two Britons accused of spying for China.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

President Lai interviewed by The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show-News releases-News & activities｜Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan) Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te:

"We hope Taiwan will continue to enjoy the support of President Trump. If he is able to convince Xi Jinping to permanently renounce the use of force against Taiwan, President Trump will surely win the Nobel Peace Prize"

Macron saborde la France et coule l’Europe Bonjour !

“Putin delivered his annual speech at the Valdai Club. We should all listen carefully to his words.”

Ursula von der Leyen yesterday, after her spokesperson claimed on Friday that the Commission was not closely following Putin's speeches.

Also in Noah's newsletter, one yr after Berlin launched a €1bn critical minerals fund, "not a single project has been approved, despite roughly 40 applications that have been submitted to state bank KfW"

Macron is considering bringing the Chinese into a discussion on global imbalances as part of France’s G7 presidency next year, @noahbarkin reports

www.gmfus.org/news/w...

Séjourné:

"We're not doing Trump-style politics... the European steel industry was on the verge of collapse -- we are protecting it so that it can invest, decarbonise, and become competitive again,

EU channels Trump with tariffs to shield steel sector The European Union will take a page out of US President Donald Trump's tariff playbook on Tuesday with a plan to hike levies and slash quotas for imported steel -- to protect the bloc's struggling industry…

Today we will get 50% EU steel tariffs, aimed at tackling cheap Chinese imports.

Industry chief Stéphane Séjourné was forced to deny that the bloc is mimicking Trump in the EP yesterday evening

"UN Resolution 2758 is very short - only 150 words. Among those 150 words, the word 'Taiwan' does not appear. The reso switched representation in the UN from the “representatives of Chiang Kai-shek” to the “representatives of the PRC”