Asia & the Pacific

As US and China edge towards an accord over trade tariffs, Brussels reaches an understanding with China that relations be built on ‘openness, non-discrimination, and fair competition’ – and a need for vigilance. The EU has been very firm on trade with China, but less so on the vexed question of Beijing’s human rights record.

Philippe Le Corre of the Harvard Kennedy School says the concept of China's Belt and Road Initiative is still "fairly vague." He adds that European countries should discuss the idea of reciprocity with Beijing, so that it won't be a "one-way road."

Since ascending to China’s top leadership, Xi Jinping has become well-known for his frequent overseas travels. Now that the annual session of the National People’s Congress is nearly over, the Chinese president can look forward to a busy international agenda, writes Philippe Le Corre.

President Xi Jinping travels to Italy and France this month for his first overseas trip of 2019. His visit comes soon after the European Commission labeled China a “systemic rival” and “economic competitor.”

A high-profile group of think tank leaders and scholars is calling for the release of a Canadian policy adviser being held in China, warning that his detention threatens U.S.-China relations at a critical moment. 

During the Trump administration, the usual ways of conducting diplomacy have been upended. Many positions in the State Department have never been filled, and meetings with foreign leaders such as Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin have been undertaken with little advance planning. What effect are these changes having now, and how will they affect ongoing relationships between the United States and its allies and adversaries?

When President Trump said in an interview this week that he was willing to intercede in the case of a Chinese telecom executive facing extradition to the United States if it helped achieve “the largest trade deal ever made,” it was a clear signal that his White House saw no problem intervening in the justice system to achieve what it considered economic gain.