Finbarr Bermingham
@fbermingham.bsky.social
Senior Correspondent for Europe at the South China Morning Post.
Tracking the shifting tectonic plates of global trade and geopolitics.
All posts should be heard in a Fermanagh accent.
Tracking the shifting tectonic plates of global trade and geopolitics.
All posts should be heard in a Fermanagh accent.
Pinned
As US-China rivalry redefines economic warfare, EU scrambles for its dictionary
The EU is preparing to unveil a new doctrine on economic security, but it’s a concept that officials and experts say has no clear definition.
www.scmp.com
As US-China rivalry redefines economic warfare, Europe scrambles for its dictionary
My report on the EU's struggle to define economic security, even as it prepares to launch yet another economic security initiative...
My report on the EU's struggle to define economic security, even as it prepares to launch yet another economic security initiative...
The investigation could take around 6 months and findings are unlikely to be made public.
"However, the Enterprise Chamber may decide that the report, in whole or in part, is available for inspection by the public."
"However, the Enterprise Chamber may decide that the report, in whole or in part, is available for inspection by the public."
February 11, 2026 at 12:21 PM
The investigation could take around 6 months and findings are unlikely to be made public.
"However, the Enterprise Chamber may decide that the report, in whole or in part, is available for inspection by the public."
"However, the Enterprise Chamber may decide that the report, in whole or in part, is available for inspection by the public."
Chinese director "remains suspended and the Enterprise Chamber is maintaining the appointment of a temporary director at Nexperia. The shares in Nexperia (minus one share) will remain temporarily transferred to the administrator appointed by the Chamber"
Enterprise Chamber orders investigation at Nexperia | Rechtspraak
Amsterdam, 11 februari 2026 om 12:30, Enterprise Chamber orders investigation at Nexperia
www.rechtspraak.nl
February 11, 2026 at 12:21 PM
Chinese director "remains suspended and the Enterprise Chamber is maintaining the appointment of a temporary director at Nexperia. The shares in Nexperia (minus one share) will remain temporarily transferred to the administrator appointed by the Chamber"
Agreements with Dutch gov "were no longer adhered to, powers of European managers were restricted and their dismissal was announced"
Probe will examine "rift in Nexperia's global enterprise between Chinese divisions and the European and Southeast Asian divisions"
Probe will examine "rift in Nexperia's global enterprise between Chinese divisions and the European and Southeast Asian divisions"
February 11, 2026 at 12:21 PM
Agreements with Dutch gov "were no longer adhered to, powers of European managers were restricted and their dismissal was announced"
Probe will examine "rift in Nexperia's global enterprise between Chinese divisions and the European and Southeast Asian divisions"
Probe will examine "rift in Nexperia's global enterprise between Chinese divisions and the European and Southeast Asian divisions"
Enterprise Chamber found "that a conflict of interest has been handled without due care"
Signs the Nexperia director "changed the strategy without internal consultation under the threat of upcoming sanctions" (presume meaning from the US)
Signs the Nexperia director "changed the strategy without internal consultation under the threat of upcoming sanctions" (presume meaning from the US)
February 11, 2026 at 12:21 PM
Enterprise Chamber found "that a conflict of interest has been handled without due care"
Signs the Nexperia director "changed the strategy without internal consultation under the threat of upcoming sanctions" (presume meaning from the US)
Signs the Nexperia director "changed the strategy without internal consultation under the threat of upcoming sanctions" (presume meaning from the US)
Breaking news: Dutch court upholds decision to effectively seize Nexperia's European arm and suspend Chinese management.
Blow for Wingtech: investigation now open into the company's "policy and affairs"
Blow for Wingtech: investigation now open into the company's "policy and affairs"
February 11, 2026 at 12:21 PM
Breaking news: Dutch court upholds decision to effectively seize Nexperia's European arm and suspend Chinese management.
Blow for Wingtech: investigation now open into the company's "policy and affairs"
Blow for Wingtech: investigation now open into the company's "policy and affairs"
The Chinese captain of a HK-registered cargo ship pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to criminal damage of a Baltic Sea gas pipeline that was forced to shut down after a leak.
Wan Wenguo, has been in custody in HK since May 2025, accused criminal damage
Wan Wenguo, has been in custody in HK since May 2025, accused criminal damage
Captain pleads not guilty to damaging Baltic Sea gas pipeline in Hong Kong court
Wan Wenguo, captain of the Hong Kong-flagged NewNew Polar Bear, denies damaging a key gas link between Finland and Estonia in 2023.
www.scmp.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:26 AM
The Chinese captain of a HK-registered cargo ship pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to criminal damage of a Baltic Sea gas pipeline that was forced to shut down after a leak.
Wan Wenguo, has been in custody in HK since May 2025, accused criminal damage
Wan Wenguo, has been in custody in HK since May 2025, accused criminal damage
This yr, Wang again will work the margins, presenting Beijing as a logical partner for an EU in need of predictability
Whether Europe will take up the offer – and whether Brussels is at the table – will be one of the quieter but more revealing tests at Munich this year.
Whether Europe will take up the offer – and whether Brussels is at the table – will be one of the quieter but more revealing tests at Munich this year.
February 11, 2026 at 10:26 AM
This yr, Wang again will work the margins, presenting Beijing as a logical partner for an EU in need of predictability
Whether Europe will take up the offer – and whether Brussels is at the table – will be one of the quieter but more revealing tests at Munich this year.
Whether Europe will take up the offer – and whether Brussels is at the table – will be one of the quieter but more revealing tests at Munich this year.
In Munich last year, there were audible gasps as Vance berated Europe for what has now become Washington’s standard critique, centred on “civilisational erasure” and “the enemy within”.
February 11, 2026 at 10:26 AM
In Munich last year, there were audible gasps as Vance berated Europe for what has now become Washington’s standard critique, centred on “civilisational erasure” and “the enemy within”.
For Chinese officials, though, the encounter may have been viewed as evidence that Brussels prefers public lecturing to quiet diplomacy, and it perhaps offered further justification for focusing diplomatic efforts on Europe’s capitals instead.
February 11, 2026 at 10:26 AM
For Chinese officials, though, the encounter may have been viewed as evidence that Brussels prefers public lecturing to quiet diplomacy, and it perhaps offered further justification for focusing diplomatic efforts on Europe’s capitals instead.
To supporters of Kallas, the meeting simply reflected the depth of European anger over the Ukraine war.
The ex-Estonian prime minister remains among Kyiv’s strongest backers in Brussels and much of her foreign policy outlook flows from that.
The ex-Estonian prime minister remains among Kyiv’s strongest backers in Brussels and much of her foreign policy outlook flows from that.
February 11, 2026 at 10:26 AM
To supporters of Kallas, the meeting simply reflected the depth of European anger over the Ukraine war.
The ex-Estonian prime minister remains among Kyiv’s strongest backers in Brussels and much of her foreign policy outlook flows from that.
The ex-Estonian prime minister remains among Kyiv’s strongest backers in Brussels and much of her foreign policy outlook flows from that.
The encounter was tense from the outset, with minor protocol mix-ups and a combative on-camera opening from Kallas pressing Wang over China’s support for Russia. The mood further soured when Wang felt obliged to raise a toast after his host forgot to
Exclusive | China tells EU it does not want to see Russia lose its war in Ukraine: sources
Wang Yi speaks of concern that US could shift whole focus in China’s direction in talks with top EU diplomat Beijing.
www.scmp.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:25 AM
The encounter was tense from the outset, with minor protocol mix-ups and a combative on-camera opening from Kallas pressing Wang over China’s support for Russia. The mood further soured when Wang felt obliged to raise a toast after his host forgot to
Even if a meeting were to occur, there'd be no guarantee of a thaw, since the pair have clashed in the past
In Brussels last July, Wang shocked the EU by telling them Beijing didn't want Russia to lose the war in Ukraine because it'd mean the US turning its attention to Asia.
In Brussels last July, Wang shocked the EU by telling them Beijing didn't want Russia to lose the war in Ukraine because it'd mean the US turning its attention to Asia.
February 11, 2026 at 10:25 AM
Even if a meeting were to occur, there'd be no guarantee of a thaw, since the pair have clashed in the past
In Brussels last July, Wang shocked the EU by telling them Beijing didn't want Russia to lose the war in Ukraine because it'd mean the US turning its attention to Asia.
In Brussels last July, Wang shocked the EU by telling them Beijing didn't want Russia to lose the war in Ukraine because it'd mean the US turning its attention to Asia.
In previous years, Kallas and her predecessor, Josep Borrell, met Wang on the conference’s sidelines as a matter of course. Last year, EU sources were aware in mid-January that such a meeting would take place.
High-level EU-China talks to resume as diplomats prepare to meet in Munich
Kaja Kallas, who recently assumed the EU’s top diplomatic post, and Wang Yi will sit down next month.
www.scmp.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:25 AM
In previous years, Kallas and her predecessor, Josep Borrell, met Wang on the conference’s sidelines as a matter of course. Last year, EU sources were aware in mid-January that such a meeting would take place.
From Friday, all eyes are on the Bavarian city once again. There, Wang may meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but a meeting with Kallas had yet to be confirmed as of Wednesday.
February 11, 2026 at 10:25 AM
From Friday, all eyes are on the Bavarian city once again. There, Wang may meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but a meeting with Kallas had yet to be confirmed as of Wednesday.
As Europe reeled from a hectoring address by US Vice-President J.D. Vance, Wang led a diplomatic charge, meeting leaders and top diplomats on the margins of Europe’s premier security forum, pitching Beijing as a stable partner to a Trump-battered continent.
February 11, 2026 at 10:25 AM
As Europe reeled from a hectoring address by US Vice-President J.D. Vance, Wang led a diplomatic charge, meeting leaders and top diplomats on the margins of Europe’s premier security forum, pitching Beijing as a stable partner to a Trump-battered continent.
The Munich Security Conference this week would ordinarily be a venue for a high-level Beijing-Brussels meeting. It was there a year ago that the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, first met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
China courts frazzled Europe as Western alliance wavers
At Munich Security Conference, top Chinese envoy Wang Yi goes on charm offensive while US leaders berate Europe.
www.scmp.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:25 AM
The Munich Security Conference this week would ordinarily be a venue for a high-level Beijing-Brussels meeting. It was there a year ago that the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, first met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
In response, Beijing has reopened beef and pork markets for Ireland and Spain and dangled visas or aircraft orders for others, even as its relations with Brussels fray.
February 11, 2026 at 10:25 AM
In response, Beijing has reopened beef and pork markets for Ireland and Spain and dangled visas or aircraft orders for others, even as its relations with Brussels fray.
Visits from the political leaders of EU members Finland and Ireland this year followed those of Macron and Spanish king in late 2025
Starmer travelled last week, while Merz is slated to arrive before the month’s end, with each visitor to date returning with biz deals
Starmer travelled last week, while Merz is slated to arrive before the month’s end, with each visitor to date returning with biz deals
February 11, 2026 at 10:25 AM
Visits from the political leaders of EU members Finland and Ireland this year followed those of Macron and Spanish king in late 2025
Starmer travelled last week, while Merz is slated to arrive before the month’s end, with each visitor to date returning with biz deals
Starmer travelled last week, while Merz is slated to arrive before the month’s end, with each visitor to date returning with biz deals
For Beijing, dealing with member states can be more fruitful: each has a vote on incoming laws designed to penalise Chinese companies and promote European ones, and their divisions on China policy have been well documented.
February 11, 2026 at 10:25 AM
For Beijing, dealing with member states can be more fruitful: each has a vote on incoming laws designed to penalise Chinese companies and promote European ones, and their divisions on China policy have been well documented.
A string of high-profile investigations, rulings and proposals Huawei, wind turbine maker Goldwind and TikTok, came alongside the announcement of a record Chinese trade surplus in 2025, leaving the impression there was little good news for the sides to discuss.
February 11, 2026 at 10:25 AM
A string of high-profile investigations, rulings and proposals Huawei, wind turbine maker Goldwind and TikTok, came alongside the announcement of a record Chinese trade surplus in 2025, leaving the impression there was little good news for the sides to discuss.
But the pattern has accelerated in recent weeks, with the European Commission starting the year as it finished the last.
China’s charm offensive: Beijing bypasses Brussels to soften EU trade push
From aircraft orders in France to reopened beef and pork markets for Ireland and Spain, mainland officials are leaning hard into diplomacy.
www.scmp.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:24 AM
But the pattern has accelerated in recent weeks, with the European Commission starting the year as it finished the last.
The diplomatic dynamic is not entirely new.
EU officials have long grumbled about China’s “divide-and-conquer” tactics, offering narrow market access to member states in the hope they would help dilute Brussels’ increasingly assertive stances.
EU officials have long grumbled about China’s “divide-and-conquer” tactics, offering narrow market access to member states in the hope they would help dilute Brussels’ increasingly assertive stances.
February 11, 2026 at 10:24 AM
The diplomatic dynamic is not entirely new.
EU officials have long grumbled about China’s “divide-and-conquer” tactics, offering narrow market access to member states in the hope they would help dilute Brussels’ increasingly assertive stances.
EU officials have long grumbled about China’s “divide-and-conquer” tactics, offering narrow market access to member states in the hope they would help dilute Brussels’ increasingly assertive stances.
The ambassador floated reviving a stalled investment pact and even launching talks over a free-trade agreement, people familiar with the meeting said.
February 11, 2026 at 10:24 AM
The ambassador floated reviving a stalled investment pact and even launching talks over a free-trade agreement, people familiar with the meeting said.
At a meeting with ambassador Cai Run the group was told that the EU must follow the path of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has pursued a reset in ties with China after a tumultuous year in US relations.
February 11, 2026 at 10:24 AM
At a meeting with ambassador Cai Run the group was told that the EU must follow the path of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has pursued a reset in ties with China after a tumultuous year in US relations.