Can Europe's green transition survive an era of political turbulence? 👇 Join us in Brussels on June 8 to discuss. Full event details here: ecfr.eu/event/the-ar...

Wonder what the Italians have to say about Tiramisu being served at a Chinese state banquet (for Trump)

China’s trains may be fast—but hangdog democrats are wrong to think that autocracies have cracked the code of economic dynamism: econ.st/4awQGwX Illustration: Chloe Cushman

Hong Kong court jails pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai for 20 years

😬 ‘Rush’ for new coal in China hits record high in 2025 as climate deadline looms www.carbonbrief.org/rush-for-new...

China has lifted sanctions from six serving British MPs and peers, PM Starmer says – The Guardian: ‘China’s sanctions were a retaliation against the UK imposing sanctions on Chinese officials held responsible for atrocities in Xinjiang. It is understood that those will not be lifted in return.’

Europe needs green tech. Europe needs to be resilient against Chinese coercion. Two imperatives, two camps. How to reconcile them? @byfordt.bsky.social just published the definitive study for @ecfr.eu. Read it ⬇️ ecfr.eu/publication/...

Protecting profit margins today cannot come at the cost of Europe’s industrial strength tomorrow, write @byfordt.bsky.social and Rosa Melissa Gehrung @ecfrasia.bsky.social https://bit.ly/4nAx1kj

Next up at Atlantic Council - EU competition boss Teresa Ribera asked about China, which she says is "providing solutions that could help the whole humankind" in the green energy space. She says the US "seems to be backtracking" on the green front, which "is not helpful"

China's new climate target is inadequate. But as the EU mulls over their own climate goals, it'd be a mistake to view China’s low target as a sign Beijing is de-prioritising climate and clean tech.

Europeans should understand that China views climate policy not as ideology—but as a lever of industrial power, writes @byfordt.bsky.social @ecfrasia.bsky.social https://bit.ly/42z4ofJ

Context on China's new 2035 6x solar and wind capacity target - slower than business as usual trend

A symbolic first? EVs are now in China’s new official climate target to the UN. But the target is recycled, watered down and depending on how it’s defined, China will to reach it by end of the year.

Xi Jinping announced China's new climate targets personally, a positive gesture, but the targets brought little clarity on China’s future emission pathway. Targeting a 7-10% emission reduction by 2035 from an undefined "peak level" undersells China's current clean energy boom.

China's former veteran climate envoy Xie Zhenhua is in Brussels today to meet Teresa Ribera "to resuscitate flailing international climate negotiations ahead of the COP30 summit in Brazil"

Adding to the woes of European wind turbine manufacturers: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

1/ Too often, news media depict unprecedented heatwaves with “fun in the sun” images of cheery beachgoers or children playing in fountains. But the reality is more long-term, and a lot less trivial: struggling workers, sweating pedestrians, and ecological damage. In full: buff.ly/DuC51F1

Die deutsche Firma Luxcara hat sich gegen Windturbinen aus China entschieden und möchte nun Anlagen von Siemens Energy nutzen. Das zeigt: Europa kann seine Windindustrie noch retten – aber nur, wenn die Politik entschlossen fairen Wettbewerb sichert, zeigt unsere aktuelle Studie.

As the UK launches an EV grant favouring European production with lower carbon footprint, Chinese brand Leapmotor mirrored the subsidy with its own cuts, making its model currently the UK’s cheapest. www.ft.com/content/63dd...

🇨🇳 📰 NEW | Analysis: Record solar growth keeps China’s CO2 falling in H1 2025 🌿 ☀️ CO2 output of the nation’s power sector fell by 3% in H1 2025 as growth in solar power alone matched the rise in electricity demand @laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social w/ @carbonbrief.org www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-rec...

「多半不會有用，多半不會成功，知識只是照見某個角落的靈光。」

China has extended its anti-dumping probe into EU dairy products until Feb 2026, keeping leverage in the EV tariff fight. Duties already hit brandy, with a pork probe due by Dec. www.reuters.com/world/china/...

China leads the world in high-quality patent filings for batteries and solar, while Europe retains the lead in wind and smart grids. China applied for more than 2x as many high-quality clean energy patents as the US. @nytimes analysis of @EPOorg data www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Chinese wind tech breakthrough: Envision says its 2-blade turbine now matches 3-blade output - cheaper, faster to install, easier to transport, lighter towers/cranes, quicker assembly, better in storms, simpler maintenance. www.energylivenews.com/2025/08/11/c...

Germany’s failed offshore wind auction highlights the cost and risk pressures on developers. Minister now calling for change in auction system. In my briefing with @lukepatey.bsky.social, we looked at the issue of negative bidding & its impact on competitive landscape. 🔗 ecfr.eu/publication/...

Brazil will bring forward a tariff hike on pre-assembled EV kits to 35% by Jan 2027 (from 14%), to boost localisation and deter assembly-only plants like BYD’s, opened last month and also facing a labour lawsuit over alleged human trafficking. www.electrive.com/2025/08/01/b...

Ford is delaying its electric pickup truck and van to 2028 to focus on affordable, small EVs - responding to pressure from Chinese automakers driving down costs and offering a wide range of low-priced models. www.reuters.com/business/aut...

As China tightens its export control regime on permanent magnets, Germany sets out a roadmap to cut reliance on Chinese magnets for the wind industry: 15% ‘resilient’ magnets by 2029, 30% by 2030, 50% by 2035.

Germany's Daimler Truck’s chief executive has said the group will not rule out an exit from manufacturing in China as the world’s largest truck producer grapples with a “crazy” global down cycle, compounded by US tariffs and weak demand in Europe. www.ft.com/content/4697...

Spot of the day by @byfordt.bsky.social The EU readout quotes VDL asking Li Qiang to "limit the external impact of overcapacity - but she actually asked him to "limit the external impact of involution" Smart of whoever wrote those notes to frame it that way

Quick take on EU-China (or China-EU) climate joint statement: We'll do more of the same and we'll commit to make some commitments later. vs. last joint statement back in 2021 - in which China stated that it was going to 'strictly control coal consumption (it didn't)

Last gasp: In their latest publication, @byfordt.bsky.social and @lukepatey.bsky.social lay out a path forward for Europe’s wind industry to reduce its dependence on China. 🧵

Smart piece by my colleague @byfordt.bsky.social on how the 🇪🇺 and 🇮🇳 can collaborate on clean technology. @ecfrasia.bsky.social ecfr.eu/article/caug...

«China wants to be seen as an advocate of international climate protection and as a provider of global public goods, including clean technologies.» — @byfordt.bsky.social on China's climate diplomacy via @nzz.ch 📰 🔗 Read more:

I'm still grappling with what is unfolding in Seoul tonight, but I would agree with this assessment that this should likely be spelling the end to Yoon's presidency one way or another, the open question being the degree of violence between now and then.

European companies must compete across each supply-chain segment, whereas Chinese state firms can produce raw materials at a loss and thereby bolster battery-makers downstream 🇪🇺 companies are not competing against individual 🇨🇳 companies – but against entire supply chains ecfr.eu/article/rech...

Starmer twice declines to directly condemn jailing of Hong Kong pro-democracy figures www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

1/ As COP29 coming to a close, let's take stock of where China stands on climate finance. EU climate chief Hoekstra once said: "If you are able to embark on a mission to the moon and are responsible for 1/4 of global emissions... you simply need to do more." So, will China pay? 🧵

US-China Econ/Sec Rev. Com zeroes in on Chinese energy grid batteries. Instructs Congress to ban or restrict imports, singling out CATL in particular. Trump could also reinstate a rip-and-replace EO from his first tenure. Huawei redux? Europeans will not be able to sit this one out

Follow my fantastic colleagues @byfordt.bsky.social and @matsengstrom.bsky.social here on Bluesky and read @byfordt.bsky.social first ECFR @ecfr Commentary - if you are interested in the nexus of China climate and geopolitics we have you covered!

Great piece by @ecfr.bsky.social colleague @byfordt.bsky.social ecfr.eu/article/carb... #China #COP29