As the European Union and China prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations with a high-level summit in Beijing at the end of July 2025, the atmosphere behind closed doors is far from festive. The main issue at hand is the tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), which have become a contentious point in the increasingly complex trade relationship between the EU and China.

New tariff rates from the US government are set to take effect in August, impacting a range of countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Malaysia, all key players in Taiwan’s regional trade network. Despite the broader uncertainties, Taiwan’s automotive parts industry is expressing optimism, anticipating a potential surge in orders.

China is pushing large-scale adoption of humanoid robots by directing state-owned enterprises to ramp up procurement. In one of the biggest deals so far, China Mobile (Hangzhou) Information Technology, an arm of China Mobile, awarded a CNY124 million (US$17.2 million) contract in June 2025 to Unitree Robotics and AgiBot (Zhiyuan Robotics), according to reports from Southern Metropolis Daily, SCMP, and STAR Market Daily.