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Cake day: January 29th, 2025

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  • China … opted to install factories on the ground. They create jobs …

    I’m not sure whether I got that right. China has been opening up factories in Europe, so far I agree, but that has little impact on the job market in Europe as the Chinese companies bring their own workers. We see this, for example, in Spain (CATL), Hungary (BYD), in the Balkans (Norinco, a Chinese state-owned military supplier that built solar projects there, among others) as well as in other parts of the globe. There are only of few local workers at Chinese foreign subsidiaries, while the most come from China. Also, illegal workers and forced labour is widespread in this setting (recent examples are Italy’s fashion industry or Chinese carmaker BYD’s closure of its Brazilian plant amid accusations of ‘slave-like’ labour conditions).

    And these are only a few examples.



















  • There is this time now when people, perhaps rather conveniently in Europe and indeed elsewhere, might be ignoring that China’s economy has massively been running on slave-like labour for long period now. I think these and other human rights violations in China aren’t gone. I think China has very strong dictatorial policies, censorship, and surveillance capabilities, and therefore, calling ‘genuine partnership’ important while not even mentioning these crimes discredits Mr. Martin completely. As a European, I don’t want this cHeAp PrDuCtS mAde By SlAvE LaBoUr.

    Mr. Martin didn’t discuss Europe’s growing trade deficit with China. And when speaking on ‘issues around Chinese subsidies,’ he claims that ‘they make similar accusations in China about Europe.’ I would really like to know what these Chinese accusations about European subsidies are. This is makes no sense as Chinese subsidies are far higher than anything allowed in Europe.

    The Irish PM is conveying Chinese talking points after his China visit, and he is even hypocritical given he is calling for a ‘trade framework with China’ while opposing the EU-Mercosur trade deal.


















  • Municipal authorities also prepare in advance … we have a law requiring winter tires …

    What does this person think we are doing in Europe? We have weather forecasts, too, and winter tyres are mandatory in several countries, not only in the Nordics.

    I am a complete layman in this field, so please correct me if I am mistaken, but this seems odd to me. That’s not to say Europe can’t learn from Canada in this and a lot of other areas, but the content is very weak imho.