Weekly
=== NEWSLETTER Nº 31===
25 August 2026
This edition brings you recent high-level diplomacy, key developments in China, and updates on China-EU relations. Enjoy reading!
Top News
President Xi Jinping Sends Congratulatory Message to András Baka on His Assumption of Office as Hungarian President
On August 19, 2026, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to András Baka on his assumption of office as President of Hungary.
President Xi noted that Hungary was among the first countries to recognize the People’s Republic of China, and the traditional friendship between the two countries goes back a long way. Over the 77 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two sides have consistently upheld mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit, and have achieved notable outcomes in cooperation across various fields.
President Xi said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Hungary relations and stands ready to work with President András Baka to carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen political mutual trust and practical cooperation across the board, and ensure the steady and sustained progress of the China-Hungary all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era, so as to deliver more benefits to the two peoples.
China-Europe Interactions
China, Switzerland complete FTA upgrade negotiations
China and Switzerland have completed negotiations on upgrading their free trade agreement (FTA). Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Swiss President Guy Parmelin jointly announced the conclusion of the talks and signed a memorandum of understanding in Bern on August 20.
Following five rounds of consultations, the two sides agreed to pursue higher-standard two-way opening-up in goods, services, investment and rules, creating new opportunities for bilateral economic and trade cooperation. The China-Switzerland FTA, signed in 2013 and effective since 2014, was China’s first FTA with a continental European country.
China-Europe Arctic shipping route enters regular weekly operation
The China-Europe Arctic container express route entered regular weekly operations for the summer season on August 15, opening a faster and more resilient logistics link between China and Europe. The container ship Dubai Tower departed from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port and will call at major European ports including Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Gdynia. The route takes about 20 days to reach Europe, nearly halving the time required via the Suez Canal. At least eight voyages are planned this year.
China-Europe Travel Boom Runs in Both Directions
Travel between China and Europe is gaining momentum in both directions. Bookings for Chinese scenic attractions by European travelers have increased more than 20-fold year on year, while over 30 European countries now enjoy visa-free access to China. Meanwhile, Chinese travel to Europe is also expanding, with the European Travel Commission projecting Chinese arrivals to Europe to rise 28 percent year on year in 2026. Growing two-way travel is also supporting cooperation in payments, hospitality and tourism services.
China in Brief
China's economy weathers July pressures as new growth drivers strengthen
China's economy maintained steady momentum with innovation-driven and high-quality development in the first seven months of this year. The new growth drivers accounted for more than half of the growth in industrial output by major industrial firms between January and July. Retail sales of smart wearable devices by major industrial firms more than doubled. Meanwhile, investment in emerging sectors supports current demand and also helps build high-quality supply for future growth.
China’s Landmark Ecological and Environmental Code Takes Effect
White egrets frolic over the Jinghe River in Tengzhou, east China's Shandong province.
China’s landmark Ecological and Environmental Code officially came into force on August 15, further strengthening the legal foundation for the country’s green modernization. The 1,242-article code covers pollution control, ecological protection, and green and low-carbon development. It was formulated through the systematic integration, compilation, revision and refinement of more than 30 ecological and environmental laws, over 100 administrative regulations, and more than 1,000 local laws and regulations.
The code, described by China’s Supreme People’s Court as the world’s first code dedicated to ecological and environmental protection, addresses common challenges including environmental pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change through a systematic legal framework. It is also aligned with China’s goals of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060.
Robotics in China: From Innovation Showcase to Real-World Tests
World Robot Conference Showcases Innovation and Real-World Applications
The 2026 World Robot Conference, held in Beijing from August 19 to 23, brought together more than 300 exhibitors and showcased over 3,000 products, with roughly 300 making their debuts. Many of the products are powered by large AI models, cloud computing and big data. Across the exhibition floor, robots are being demonstrated in real-world scenarios ranging from logistics and automobile manufacturing to household services, retail and coffee brewing.
World Humanoid Robot Games Put Real-World Skills to the Test
The second World Humanoid Robot Games, held in Beijing from August 22 to 26, brought together 666 teams and 2,056 robots from 16 countries and regions across six continents. The Games feature 51 competition items, including 21 scenario-based contests in factories, hotels, homes and logistics facilities, where humanoid robots are tested on tasks ranging from industrial assembly and housekeeping to emergency rescue and library book sorting.
China Responds to EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation Investigation
China says EU's probe into e-commerce giant JD.com unlawful
China’s Ministry of Justice said the EU’s cross-border investigation into JD.com under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation constituted unlawful extraterritorial jurisdiction. The ministry said no organization or individual may comply with or assist in implementing the relevant EU measures, and called on the EU to correct its practices and stop abusing the FSR as a tool.
China voices opposition to EU's abuse of foreign subsidies rules against Chinese firms
A Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said China opposes the EU’s use of unilateral tools such as the Foreign Subsidies Regulation against Chinese companies. The spokesperson said the EU had sought extensive information from Chinese banking institutions, including information unrelated to the investigation, and called for the EU to correct its practices and strengthen government-to-government dialogue.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson’s Remarks
On the Situation in Iran
A: China believes that military means, sanctions and pressure tactics are not the solution. On the contrary, they will only lead to escalation that serves no one’s interests. We call for efforts to solve disputes through dialogue and negotiation.
China opposes illicit unilateral sanctions that lack basis in international law and UN Security Council mandate. We call on parties to act responsibly and stick to the political and diplomatic approach.
On Global AI Cooperation
A: AI is the collective wisdom and precious asset shared by all humanity. It is a widespread expectation of the international community to carry out extensive AI cooperation, and all countries have the right to decide for themselves who they wish to partner with according to their own national conditions and development needs. China firmly opposes forcing countries to take sides or creating bloc confrontation on AI. We hope that all sides will abandon the zero-sum mentality, advocate solidarity, respect digital sovereignty of all countries, and build a just and equitable system for global AI governance, making AI an important driver for shared prosperity and common security.
On the So-Called “China Shock” and “China Squeeze”
A: We noted that more and more people with insights in the world have expressed similar views. Facts have proven that China brings the world not “shocks” but opportunities; it does not “squeeze” but enables growth. The affordable quality products made in China has lowered the threshold of industrialization for developing countries. China’s open-source and universally beneficial innovation has enabled more countries to access affordable cutting-edge technologies. China’s stable and reliable supply has strengthened the resilience of the global industrial and supply chains, and supported Global South countries’ pursuit of modernization at a faster pace. In the face of growing uncertainties and instabilities in the world economy, China will continue to offer more dividends of its market, innovation and development to other countries through high-quality development.
On The third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting
A: As the host of APEC in 2026, China will hold the third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting and related meetings in Dalian, Liaoning Province, from August 17 to 28. This meeting will be the largest as to the number of participants and events. It will strive to achieve more outcomes across various fields and mechanisms under the APEC framework, laying the groundwork for the leaders’ meeting in November.
The host city Dalian serves as a window to learn about China’s opening up in Northeast China. It boasts a robust industrial foundation, sound business environment, geographical advantages, beautiful scenery and liveable environment. We welcome friends from the media to actively report on the third Senior Officials’ Meeting and related meetings, and continue following and supporting the APEC “China Year.”
Weekly Quote
Through the Lens
Creative Contest: “Chinese and European Youth: Moving Forward Together”
The Mission of China to the EU is inviting young people from Europe to take part in its 2026 creative contest!
You can submit illustrations, comics, animations or short videos (up to 5 minutes) inspired by China, Europe, or China-Europe exchanges. Each participant may submit up to 5 works.
🏆 Prizes include a trip to China, laptop, smartphone, smartwatch and certificates.
📩 Submission: youthchinaeu@gmail.com
Instagram/TikTok: @missionchinaeu
Hashtag: #YouthChinaEU
More information: Official announcement — Mission of China to the EU
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of China, except those from the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Chinese Mission to the EU and other Chinese governmental websites.
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Editor: JIANG Qian
