France is Chinese president’s first stop on Europe trip, and Beijing is pinning its hopes on Paris to push Brussels to adopt more ‘positive and pragmatic’ approach to China-EU ties.

President Xi Jinping’s European trip comes amid barrage of EU trade and competition tools largely targeting Chinese firms, including dramatic raids in the Netherlands and Poland.

Struggling US-China ties, a human rights shock and a student in big trouble: these are the highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents from April 2024.

‘Serious delays in support have meant serious consequences on the battlefield’ for Ukraine, said Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Kyiv on Monday.

One of Europe’s most hawkish leaders towards Beijing is confirmed to meet the Chinese president during his first trip to the continent in five years.

Last week, the 52-year-old said he was thinking about resigning after a judge opened a case alleging influence-peddling against his wife Begona Gomez.

Protesters called on the government to scrap the controversial bill which the European Union has warned would undermine Tbilisi’s European aspirations.

Ireland takes aim at the UK’s Rwanda policy which is driving migrants over its border.

Giorgia Meloni made her announcement at a rally for her far-right party, on the same day dozens raised their arms in a fascist salute to honour dictator Benito Mussolini on the 79th anniversary of his execution.

Overtourism plagues some of Europe’s most popular destinations, and increasingly they are taking steps to control surging visitor numbers. Venice’s entry fee for day trippers is the latest measure.

Regime’s military leaders use the shipped weapons to ‘kill their own people and civilians’, senior official representing ousted government tells Post.

TikTok is in the cross hairs of authorities in the US, where new legislation threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests.

Observers say Ukraine will be high on the agenda when Chinese President Xi Jinping travels to France, Serbia and Hungary next month, while the West will be watching Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s visit to China for signs Beijing is supporting Moscow’s war efforts.

Purpose is to enlist China’s help in ending the companies’ activities that allegedly violate sanctions on supplying products with military applications to Moscow.

City authorities hit back at European Union’s lawmaking body after members also call for sanctions against Chief Executive John Lee, as well as other officials.

Resolution calls for freeing of Joseph John, as well as activist Andy Li and newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai, and condemns Hong Kong’s passage of domestic national security law.

Europe must not become a vassal of the US, he said, as he outlined his vision for a more assertive EU on the global stage.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tells counterpart Peter Szijjarto in Beijing that Hungary is a ‘European country of unique influence’.

Chew Shou Zi, chief executive of the popular app, says the platform will continue to operate as it challenges the new legislation in court.

Former government adviser says Chinese officials must ‘have the foresight to make good predictions’ amid China’s new quality productive forces strategy shift.