Archives China - Page 29 of 35 - New Eastern Outlook

From June 19-23, Li Qiang, leader of the State Council (i.e., prime minister of China), who only took office in March of this year, made his first trip abroad. The focus of his first foreign tour was the European continent. Specifically, the two leading countries of the European Union, Germany and France, as well as the top leadership of the EU. The very fact of this event, along with a number of other similar events that have occurred in recent months, allows the author to make a few remarks about China’s foreign policy. Its current form has been shaped over the past few years and was once again confirmed in principled political issues at the 20th CCP Congress last fall and in “economic and practical” terms at the parliamentary session held six months later (the so-called “Two Sessions”). Li Qiang was appointed to implement the latter…

Following active US diplomacy over the past few years, Europe seems to have now decided to say no to the US geopolitics of “decoupling” from China. This is nothing short of a major diplomatic blow for the US, although this blow has not received as much attention in the mainstream Western media due to its overt focus on events related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The recent visit of Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Europe, where Li not only met the German Chancellor but also addressed a conference on development financing organised by French President Macron. More than that, the fact that two of the European Union’s most powerful…

Despite US efforts, reciprocity between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will not decrease. On June 16, the traditional 15th Strait Forum opened in the Chinese city of Xiamen, opposite Taiwan. The event has no particular focus and is geared more toward encouraging contact and demonstrating that Chinese people are not so different on either side of the sea. It is worth noting that despite new rounds of confrontation between Beijing and Taipei continuing to unfold, about 5,000 Taiwanese showed up at the forum. About a thousand will come directly from the island, including representatives of the Kuomintang and other coalition parties. Such occurrences…