#EuropeanUnion leaders called for an end to naivety on Friday (Mar 22) in relations with Beijing and said #China was a competitor whose markets were not sufficiently open, although they did not spell out specifically what they planned to do. The bloc has sought to avoid taking sides in a multi-billion dollar trade war between Washington and Beijing.

French President #EmmanuelMacron, among the most vocal EU critics of Beijing, said that he recognized there was a divergence of views in the bloc but that letting #Chinesecompanies buy up #EU infrastructure such as ports had been a 'strategic error'. German Chancellor #AngelaMerkel said Europe should consider China as much a competitor as a partner, a view echoed by her Austrian counterpart #SebastianKurz and #EuropeanCommission President #JeanClaudeJuncker.


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EU leaders call for end to 'naivety' in relations with China
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-china/eu-leaders-call-for-end-to-naivety-in-relations-with-china-idUSKCN1R31H3

French President #EmmanuelMacron welcomed President #XiJinping for a private dinner near Nice on Sunday (Mar 24) as the Chinese leader tours #Europe seeking support for an ambitious economic programme dubbed the 'new #SilkRoad'. Macron might not be so easily won over. He has sought to forge a united European front to contend with China's global ambitions and has called for increased 'reciprocity' in trade deals with Beijing.

Speaking before Xi's arrival, Macron lauded the #EU's 'awakening' to the challenges posed by #China, which the bloc now labels a "rival" despite being Europe's biggest trading partner. He told EU leaders that cooperation with China must be matched by caution. On Tuesday (Mar 26), Macron and Xi will be joined by German Chancellor #AngelaMerkel and EU Commission president #JeanClaudeJuncker to explore 'points of convergence' ahead of an EU-China summit in Brussels next month.


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Macron seeks united EU front on China as President Xi visits #France
https://www.france24.com/en/20190324-china-xi-visits-france-macron-united-eu-front-huawei-trade-deals

Chinese President #XiJinping on Sunday (Mar 24) stressed the importance of maintaining a sound China-France relationship to both countries' long-term development and its potential impact on the world. Xi, who is paying a state visit to #France, made the remarks when meeting with French President #EmmanuelMacron in the southern French city of Nice.

Recalling the history of friendly exchanges between #China and France, Xi noted that France is the first major Western country to establish official diplomatic relations with the #PeoplesRepublicofChina (PRC). He pointed to the special significance of his visit, which came at a special year that marks both the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC and the 55th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations.


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Xi meets Macron on maintaining sound China-France ties
http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201903/25/WS5c981ef9a3104842260b2409.html

Chinese President #XiJinping and his French counterpart #EmmanuelMacron met for dinner in the south of #France on Sunday (Mar 22) ahead of official talks with the host leader seeking to forge a united European front to contend with Beijing’s advances. 'Very happy to welcome President Xi Jinping and his wife to France,' Macron wrote in a tweet. 'This visit will strengthen our strategic partnership and affirm the role of France, #Europe and #China towards a strong #multilateralism.'

Xi earlier arrived at the resort city of Nice accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan, to be welcomed by French Foreign Minister #JeanYvesLeDrian and an honour guard. Xi, who has made a priority of establishing China as a global player, travelled from #Italy, whose government became the first #G7 state to sign up to his landmark new ' #SilkRoad' infrastructure project, a massive undertaking to join #Asia to Europe.


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Chinese President Xi Jinping meets French President Emmanuel Macron after a stop in Monaco
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3003078/chinese-president-xi-jinping-meets-french-president-emmanuel

Chinese President #XiJinping has found one country in #Europe that isn't worried about #China's growing global clout or its ambitions to dominate the future of technology: #Monaco. Xi visited the tiny Mediterranean principality Sunday (Mar 24) as part of a European tour that is clouded by mixed feelings about how to engage with China and benefit from its trade - while setting limits on its appetite for greater economic and diplomatic influence.

Xi's appearance alongside Monaco's #PrinceAlbert and #PrincessCharlene marked the first state visit by a Chinese president to the principality. The palace said Monaco is interested in increased trade and economic cooperation with China and 'boosting China's image in the principality.' Monaco last year clinched a deal with Chinese tech company #Huawei to develop its #5G #telecommunications network - a thorny issue for several #Europeancountries.


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Chinese leader visits Monaco amid European 5G tech worries
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/chinese-president-visiting-monaco-amid-european-tech-worries-61905471

Chinese President #XiJinping arrived in #Monaco on Sunday (Mar 24) for a state visit to the Mediterranean country after his trip to Italy. Xi was invited by Head of State of the Principality of Monaco Albert II, marking the first-ever visit by a Chinese head of state to Monaco.

#China and Monaco have fostered a relationship of equality and sincerity over the past 20 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Xi said during the talks with Prince Albert II. China-Monaco relations have been making steady progress with deepening practical cooperation on environmental protection, telecommunication and mobile payment, becoming a pace-setter and model for China-Europe cooperation, according to Xi. Just 6 months back, Prince Albert II paid a state visit to China from September 5 to 8 at the invitation of President Xi, who said that the visits reflect a high level of China-Monaco relations.


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Xi: China-Monaco ties model for China-Europe cooperation
https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d774d3067544e33457a6333566d54/index.html

#Malaysia and #Indonesia, which account for a combined 85% of the global #palmoil supply, have warned that millions of farmers risk losing their livelihoods if the #EuropeanUnion stops using the commodity in its #biofuels. The EU’s proposed move comes following a push by the European Parliament to phase out the use of palm oil starting in 2023, ramping up to a ban in 2030, on concerns palm oil production causes deforestation and aggravates climate change.

Additionally, Malaysia and Indonesia plan to take the issue to the WTO. Indonesia called the proposed #EU ban on palm oil a 'double standard' that would kill the livelihoods of millions. This move is a double standard, a pure discrimination. The EU accepts #soybeans, which use 10 times more land than palm oil to cultivate, according to Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan.


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Malaysia and Indonesia threaten boycott of EU products, say millions of farmers risk losing livelihoods due to palm oil curbs
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3002737/malaysia-and-indonesia-threaten-boycott-eu-products-say

Going to the polls for the first time since the #military took power in a coup in 2014, Thais were given the choice between pro-regime parties, who supported the continuation of junta rule through the ballot box, and pro- #democracy parties that were fundamentally opposed to the military and wanted to radically change the direction of the country. Yet, by Sunday night (Mar 24), the results were so close that the election commission cancelled the expected official announcement of the outcome until the morning.

Preliminary results, with 93% of the votes counted, showed a narrow win for the pro-democracy #PheuThai, with an estimated 129 seats, compared with 117 seats for the pro-military #PhalangPracharat. It means that neither party achieved the 250 seats needed to form a majority government in their own right and is therefore likely to lead to a scramble on both sides to form a large enough coalition with other smaller parties. However, the result was far better for the military than most had predicted and a blow to those who hoped this election would bring in a new era for Thai politics.


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Pro-military party may edge Thailand election in blow to hopes of new era
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/24/thai-election-split-pheu-thai-opposition-and-pro-junta-phalang-pracharat

Speaking at the #China Development Forum in Beijing, Vice-Premier and Politburo Standing Committee member #HanZheng told a gathering of foreign business representatives and former government officials from the #US and other countries that his government was committed to levelling the playing field. Han said also that China would improve market access, including shortening the 'negative list' of industries in which #foreigninvestment is limited or prohibited, and ban the practice of forcing foreign firms to transfer proprietary technology to joint venture partners.

The pledges come as Chinese Vice-Premier #LiuHe, the country’s top trade negotiator, prepares to welcome US trade representative #RobertLighthizer and US Treasury Secretary #StevenMnuchin to Beijing for the latest round of trade talks, which get under way on Thursday (Mar 28). Liu and his team will later travel to Washington for a second phase of the talks, starting on April 3.


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China will buy more US goods, top official says ahead of latest trade war talks
https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3003031/china-will-buy-more-us-goods-top-official-says-ahead-latest

Ahead of fresh high-level trade talks this week, #China is not conceding to #US demands to ease curbs on #technologycompanies, according to FT. U.S. Trade Representative #RobertLighthizer and Treasury Secretary #StevenMnuchin are scheduled to travel to Beijing for talks starting on March 28. China made an initial offer on digital trade that the #UnitedStates judged as insufficient. China then retracted the offer after the United States demanded stronger pledges.


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China refuses to concede on U.S. demands to ease curbs on tech firms - FT
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-trade-china-tech/china-refuses-to-concede-on-u-s-demands-to-ease-curbs-on-tech-firms-ft-idUKKCN1R506Z