Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap for today!
French president and Andorra’s co-prince Emmanuel Macron is expected to arrive in the microstate and intervene in a tricky abortion debate, endorsing the government’s plans to reform the existing draconian laws, according to Élysée Palace’s briefing to the French media (16:01).
The European Commission and the incoming Hungarian government are expected to hold further talks about unfreezing billions of euros in EU funds this week, amid preparations for Péter Magyar to take office in early May after his election win over Viktor Orbán earlier this month (15:17).
At least 14 people were injured in overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine, with the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressing the need to keep investing in the air defence systems (12:30).
Lithuania has charged 13 people with two attempted murders linked to Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, the chief of the Baltic country’s criminal police said (9:47, 14:16).
And since most news are a bit grim these days, here is something to clean your palate and give you some hope:
A Polish social media influencer has raised more than £50m after a nine-day, non-stop online stream during which he was joined by a parade of celebrity guests to help a charity supporting children battling cancer (12:46).
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at [email protected].
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
EU experiences 'prolonged China shock' with record trade surplus driven by EV exports
The EU is experiencing a prolonged China shock with new data showing Beijing enjoyed a record surplus in trade with the bloc in the first three months of 2026.
Part of it is driven by the apparent unstoppable appetite for Chinese cars, including BYD which has declared it wants to become the world’s biggest automaker.
Sales of Chinese electric and hybrid cars almost doubled from $11bn (£8.1bn) in the first three months of 2025 to $20.6bn for the same period this year.
This accounts for a third of the value of all Chinese EV exports, according to the Mercator Institute for China Studies, which crunched the numbers along with China trade site Soapbox.
When the UK, Norway and Switzerland are included, Europe now accounts for 42% of Chinese EV sales, which have seen a 50% boost in March in the wake of the Iran war.
In February thinktank Bruegel said the EU was “experiencing a severe and accelerating ‘China shock’” with Xi Jinping’s new five year plan showing no signs of change in export policy in Beijing.
On Monday, China warned the EU it would retaliate with “countermeasures” if its proposed “Made in the EU” law discriminates unfairly against Chinese exports to the bloc.
An EU spokesperson defended the proposals, saying they were in line with WTO rules and the bloc’s goals.
“Policy proposals that we make as the European Commission on behalf of the European Union are carefully calibrated to achieve certain economic and wider goals for our citizens, for our businesses,” Olof Gill, the commission’s deputy chief spokesperson said.
He added:
“We engage with our global partners, to the extent possible, in the design and elaboration of those policies. We are happy to engage with our global partners, to hear their views on our policies, and that’s really all we have to say on it for today.”
