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AsiaCentre

Founded in 2005, Asia Centre is an independent research institute that holds debates and issues publications on matters relating to international, strategic, economic relations, as well as the political and social transformations underway in the Asia-Pacific region. At the crossroads of university research as well as public and private decision-making, Asia Centre researchers identify critical regional issues and analyse them in-depth, taking into consideration both local and global dimensions. Asia Centre’s programs are developed with a vast network of partners, companies and major specialist centres in Europe, North America and Asia. The Centre carries out joint operations with these groups, for a better interpretation of ideas and issues. The conclusions of these meetings, such as the results of the work carried out using original sources by our researchers, are widely distributed through the Centre’s publications as well as through international journals, books and media.

Other analyses

Taiwan cooking oil scandal: Why Isn’t Beijing Adding Fuel to the Fire? • Isabelle Feng

31 July 2026 No Comments

In this new piece, Isabelle Feng looks back at the tainted cooking oil scandal that has affected Taiwan for several weeks, and at Beijing’s measured response to the affair. She examines the protests held in Taipei on 25 July, the coverage of the event by Chinese state media, and reactions observed on Chinese social media. She puts this episode in perspective alongside the history of food safety scandals in mainland China and the question of freedom to protest on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

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CA 20 – Playing with Europe’s Soft Agenda – Dec 2008

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EU-China relations, described in 2003 as a “strategic partnership in the making” and a “honeymoon”, are growing increasingly stormy. As this issue of China Analysis goes to press, Beijing’s postponement of December’s EU-China Summit in Lyon has provided further evidence of the EU’s sliding towards irrelevance in the eyes of China. The overall relationship lacks substance and is strained by political issues such as Tibet. Furthermore, the weakness of the EU seems to be used as a tool by China to address a strong warning to the next American administration on human rights promotion.

 

Summary

– PLAYING WITH EUROPE’S SOFT AGENDA –

Challenging Europe’s soft power (Mathieu Duchâtel)

Gaining soft power: China’s post-Olympic foreign policy priority (Mathieu Duchâtel)

The human rights clause in EU-China negotiations (Mathieu Duchâtel)

Energy and climate cooperation: seeking common ground (Thibaud Voïta)

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