October 9, 2010
The following article appeared in Global Times on 29 September: It now looks unlikely that the current Sino-Japanese dispute will be resolved next week in Brussels on the sidelines of the ASEM Asia-Europe Summit, when Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan will both be there. Whatever the true facts of the collision… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
October 7, 2010
“Politicians come and go but culture lives on” said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, when opening the “EU-China High Level Cultural Forum”, which was held in Brussels on 6-7 October. The successful development of EU-China relations needs increased mutual understanding. A first step towards mutual understanding is cultural engagement (culture in its broadest sense). Within this… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
Wen Jiabao and Nato Kan, the prime ministers of China and Japan, discussed, in the wings of the ASEM Summit in Brussels, the tensions following the 7 September maritime incident near the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku islands. They will have further opportunities to talk when they meet later this month in Hanoi for the East Asia Summit,… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
October 6, 2010
Whether or not Iran is going to build nuclear weapons remains uncertain, as does the time-span in which it could be achieved. This is still some years away as Israel has only recently confirmed. A breakdown in the current attempt at Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations could lead to conflagration: anything other than a two state solution… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
September 27, 2010
It is a poor reflection on the EU’s China activities if the latest available organigrarmme is nearly five years old and there is no agreement as to how many Dialogues, Working Groups (WG) etc there are. It indicates a serious lack of coordination. The structure of EU-China relations according to the Commission in December 2005… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
September 23, 2010
Despite the changed circumstances, the debate over the effectiveness of the ‘Community method’ as compared with ‘intergovernmentalism’, rages on. Those who regard themselves as ‘true believers’ see the Community method as the Holy Grail. There is a belief that the Community method equates to Jean Monnet’s methodology. The European Council is anathema to them as… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
September 19, 2010
The EU Summit has come and gone, but was hijacked over the Roma dispute. This meant that little time was spent on discussing strategies towards third countries, including China. There was an inconclusive discussion at the recent informal foreign ministers’ meeting. We do know how the EU High Representative for Foreign & Security Policy/Commission Vice… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
September 16, 2010
• Many fewer Poles than other EU respondents approve of Obama’s handling of international policies. • Given the choice between accepting a nuclear Iran and taking military action, 64% of Americans and 43% of Europeans favour military action. • Fewer than 20% of EU and US citizens believe that China plays a positive role internationally.… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
September 14, 2010
What is the SCO? The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has, to the surprise of many, emerged as a force to be reckoned with in Central Asia. The ‘Shanghai Five’, founded in 1996, became the SCO in 2001. Its members are China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan are Observers. Belarus… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
September 11, 2010
The Commission President delivered to the European Parliament on 7 September his first State of the Union Message. This comprised a catalogue of current problems without offering concrete remedies. Implementation is the problem. President Barroso has a great opportunity in his second term to make a mark. But he should focus on a small number… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
Rated 6th most influential EU blog by Waggener Edstrom. European of British nationality, for nearly 30 years Bruxellois. Deep believer in the principle of 'mutuality' and Monnet's axiom "Thought cannot be divorced from action", equivalent to Wang Yangming
