Links about China and China-EU relations that caught my eye this week

1) China’s bigger, better batteries

https://www.ft.com/content/b84778e5-ce8b-4baa-9ca7-402cdf277b4d

Deep deep dive from the FT on how Chinese-made batteries are playing a globally transformative role in energy storage.

2) What would a military escalation over Taiwan mean for Europe?

I hate posting videos, and I promise not to do it too often here, but this is a very good six-minute explainer form Clingendael about what’s at stake for Europe if things go wrong in the Strait.

3) The Pinglu canal – 134 km of waterway which reduces the transport time to the sea from Guanxi province by over 550 km.

Xinhua thinks it’s great and has lots of photos.

https://english.news.cn/europe/20260930/5b6474209f0d41db866797fe658e6ffc/c.html

John Zadeh in Discovery Alert takes a broader perspective:

https://discoveryalert.com/education/pinglu-canal-asean-trade-routes

4) China in the Arctic: Separating Risk from Rhetoric

https://egmontinstitute.be/china-in-the-arctic-separating-risk-from-rhetoric

Ahad Hadian at the Egmont Institute does a deep dive on what’s happening in the Far North and how and why it matters to Europe.

5) Europe wakes up to Chinese matcha

https://www.rapporteur.com/news/europe-wakes-up-to-chinese-matcha

Currently, China produces 60-70% of global output of matcha. Includes an in-depth interview with the owner of the matcha shop on Rue Lesbroussart in Brussels.