Preparing member states for retaliation from China and the need to maintain a united front. Germany is the biggest risk www.politico.eu/article/us-c...

Beijing will be happy with Trump comments on Taiwan "Xi probably liked you haven't approved weapons to Taiwan." Trump: "'like' is maybe too strong of a word…China's a very, very big country. That's a very small island. It's 59 miles away. We're 9,500 miles away…[Taiwan] stole our chip industry."

Meine Einschätzungen zum Trump-Besuch in China: “Trump hat die vergangenen zwei Tage damit verbracht, Xi Jinping zu schmeicheln und dafür bekam er kaum etwas zurück, außer Versprechen, einige Boeing-Flugzeuge und Agrarprodukte zu kaufen” www.tagesschau.de/ausland/asie...

Merz does it again 🫠 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

The worst-case scenarios didn't materialize. But the shifting US-China power balance that was on stark display in Beijing confronts Europe with tough choices. My latest on the Xi-Trump summit👇🏼 open.substack.com/pub/nbarkin/...

Asked whether the Trump administration would raise tariffs on China in the future, Greer said that the two sides had agreed that “there is going to be a certain level of tariff,” though he declined to say what that was. 🤔 www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/w...

Ouch. What an embarrassment

The EU’s Cybersecurity Act is designed to prevent a race to the bottom on security. It will be interesting to see whether Spain says “yes” to Ming Yang when other European countries are saying “no thanks”

Rhodium is looking for a Senior Consultant to deepen our India macro, geopolitical and tech coverage. Preferred location is Delhi or Mumbai. Please share and apply! rhodiumgroup.applytojob.com/apply/ViN0sM...

“Europe is likely to bear the brunt of the next wave of Chinese market share gains, as its export strengths are heavily concentrated in sectors where Chinese firms are making rapid inroads. Cars, chemicals, and machinery will be at the forefront of this exposure.” rhg.com/research/chi...

Almost daily stories now about how the Trump family is enriching itself on the back of the US taxpayers. Corruption in plain sight - which future versions of the DOJ and Congress will need to investigate www.ft.com/content/8fc4...

Confirmation today that trade imbalances with China will be on the agenda when European leaders meet in mid-June. You read it here first: open.substack.com/pub/nbarkin/...

Jordan Bardella, in a break from Marine Le Pen’s hostile stance towards Germany, secretly met with the German ambassador to France earlier this year, and senior National Rally officials say he could make a trip to Germany in the coming months www.politico.eu/article/jord...

US inflation at 3-year high due to Trump’s war www.ft.com/content/ce60...

Trump’s schedule in China, according to the White House Wednesday Trump arrives in Beijing Thursday 10am - Greeting with Xi Jinping 1015am - Bilateral with Xi 6pm - State Banquet Friday 1130am - Trump-Xi “Friendship Photo” 1140am - Trump-Xi “Bilateral Tea” 1215pm - Bilateral Lunch

The German Council on Foreign Relations is launching a new India Center whose aim is to support the reduction of strategic dependencies on China and the US. This is what the Trumpies want. It’s happening table.media/berlin/news/...

The contradiction at the heart of Germany’s shrill calls for the completion of the single market: it is only prepared to support cross-border consolidation on its terms www.ft.com/content/983a...

The real story is that a third of Americans still support Trump even though he has done the opposite of what he promised them (no wars, lower inflation, draining the swamp, coming clean on Epstein, etc). That is what is truly remarkable here www.ft.com/content/d08d...

Germany submitted an offer to purchase US tomahawk missiles last July. The Trump administration hasn’t responded to it. Now Pistorius must go hat in hand to Hegseth at a time of growing tensions between Berlin & Washington over the Iran war. @chassnews.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/c64f...

"The world's richest men are crushing the world's poorest children." Plaudits to @nickkristof.bsky.social for stating plainly what's happening. We live in ugly times. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/09/o...

According to Der Spiegel, countless German politicians (including the president of the Bundestag) fell for this Russian phishing attack on Signal, compromising sensitive communications at the highest level of the German government. www.spiegel.de/politik/deut...

🇭🇺 Péter Magyar will be elected Prime Minister of Hungary today at ~2:30pm, after MPs take their oath and the new parliament convenes. 👋 Viktor Orbán is no longer PM or MP. 🇪🇺 For the first time in over a decade, the EU flag will fly on the Parliament building in Budapest.

Ahead of the Xi-Trump summit, the US imposes sanctions on Chinese companies for allegedly helping Iran www.ft.com/content/f077...

Rhodium client note: Xi enters the summit in the strongest position of any Chinese leader who has sat down with his US counterpart in recent history—or perhaps ever. That is a function of the Iran war & recent tariff rulings, but also of the fraying of US alliances and China’s rare earths leverage.

“The renovation plans exemplify how Mr. Trump views much of the nation’s capital as his imperial realm — to decorate, or even destroy, as he sees fit”. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/u...

We haven’t even begun to feel the full effects of Trump’s misadventure in Iran www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/w...

Trump returned to the Taqueria yesterday 🌮 www.ft.com/content/1071...

A new flashpoint in transatlantic relations: US tech & pharma firms are lobbying against EU consumer protection rules that would make them liable for defective products www.ft.com/content/f272...

The NBA has turned into a farce under Adam Silver, with its gambling scandals, tanking and petulant stars. We don’t need this in Europe www.ft.com/content/9688...

Trump heads to China with what may be the weakest hand of any US president in history. His tariffs have been ruled illegal (again), he is bogged down in Iran and he has no answer to Beijing’s rare earth leverage. All self-inflicted www.nytimes.com/2026/05/07/b...

If true, a devastating failure by the US & Israel.

Friedrich Merz's approval rating has sunk to 16% in the latest Deutschlandtrend poll - the lowest level on record for a German chancellor. Support for his government is even lower at 13%. Pretty grim numbers

crowd's response to Trump is so much more informative than any poll

Sabine Weyand, not known as a Turnberry cheerleader, was as clear as she could be in her INTA appearance yesterday that Wednesday’s trilogue must send a strong signal about the EU’s commitment to finalize the deal. This Lange statement falls short of that www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pres...

China-EU investment deal should stay in ‘deep freezer’, outgoing trade chief warns Report on Weyand, Prévot and the growing sense that there are rocky times ahead for the EU China relationship www.scmp.com/news/china/d...

Starmer’s bizarre short list for US ambassador - Peter Mandelson - George Osborne - Bear Grylls “A classic Whitehall tactic deployed by officials to nudge ministers towards a particular decision while creating the illusion of choice.” www.ft.com/content/a829...

New revelations prove Trump and Hegseth are covering up the truth about what a disaster the Iran War has been. It is Pentagon Papers 2.0. Should be a massive scandal. www.thedailybeast.com/the-scandal-...

A couple questions: 1) why is KPMG writing reports for Chinese state propaganda purposes? 2) why is Reuters reproducing these reports without any context? No comment from the EU or independent tech experts and no mention of China's restrictions on European tech www.reuters.com/world/china/...

Markets still believe what the administration says on Iran

Sefcovic and Greer failed to resolve differences over the US-EU trade deal in Paris yesterday. Negotiators from the EU Parliament, capitals and the Commission will meet today to formulate a response to Trump’s auto tariff threat. @camgijs.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/eu-c...

I hope the EU is not alone in threatening to pull funding for the Venice Biennale www.ft.com/content/a811...

Iran has Trump by the balls www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/u...

We have now entered a universe where the Trump administration is downplaying Iranian attacks on US warships in a desperate attempt to cling to the idea of a ceasefire. The Pentagon is “is not looking for a fight” says Hegseth. Where is the warrior ethos?

Fascinating slide from Volkswagen. Note the "handshake" between Europe and China. And the fact that cars produced in China will be serving every major global market apart from the US. When will this cumbersome slogan be replaced by "In China for the Globe (ex-US)"

They think that if they bully and berate they can force everyone to paint Iran as a resounding success. But other countries don’t live in their alt-fact Trumpian bubble www.ft.com/content/85f8...

NEW: EU sounds out industry over new trade weapon against China’s overcapacity Business groups have been consulted on the "overcapacity instrument", which Brussels hopes to propose by the summer. My report - following Noah Barkin yesterday.

The European Commission plans to ask member states next month for a green light to pursue far-reaching trade action against China, in what will be a major test of EU unity and resolve in responding to a deepening China shock open.substack.com/pub/nbarkin/...

What a story 🙏🏼@christopherjm.ft.com giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has made it to Eswatini despite extensive Chinese efforts to prevent the trip from taking place udn.com/news/story/6...