The Point with Liu Xin China Plus

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in France, the first stop of his three-nation European tour. The trip will also take him to Serbia and Hungary, two important partners of China in Central and Eastern Europe. The visit came on the heels of a major speech by French President Emmanuel Macron on the risks facing Europe. It also coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France and the 75th anniversary of China-Hungary diplomatic ties. Why these three countries? What are the risks or "mischief" that Europe should worry about? And where does China fit in?

At the Beijing auto show 2024, 278 NEV models were on display, with Chinese car makers stealing the show and foreign carmakers feeling the pinch. German, Japanese and South Korean giants are teaming up with their Chinese partners to "catch up with Chinese carmakers." How advanced is China's NEV industry? Will these partnerships with Chinese players all become grist for the mill for foreign automakers? With more trade barriers on Chinese NEVs looming, is the West shooting itself in the foot?

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz just wrapped up his 3-day visit to China. With a packed schedule, the Chancellor's delegation was nothing short of impressive with ministers of environment, agriculture and transport, and also executives from big firms including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Siemens. The trip came as Brussels announced earlier this month an inquiry into Chinese-made wind turbines on top of another investigation into Chinese made new energy vehicles since last Oct. Is Scholz trying to have his cake and eat it too, promoting German businesses in China while staying in sync with Brussels? If so, how will that work? Was this visit to China a disappointment like some are saying? Or was it the latest example of respect-based dialogues between the two economies?

This year marks the 40th anniversary of financial dialogue and cooperation between China and Germany. Over the years, 300 projects across China with some 10 billion euros of investment from Germany have been jointly implemented. As German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is visiting China, how can the two sides keep building the trust and strengthen cooperation to address new challenges facing the world today?

The United States, the UK and France came out to point fingers at China after a few recent run-ins between Chinese and Filipino vessels near the Ren'ai Jiao. But can they really defend their argument? What have their governments been saying about the subject in secret vs. in public since the beginning of the 20th century? One scholar decided to find out and spent years digging through piles of archives in the three countries. What he found really surprised him. He later put his findings in a book called The History and Sovereignty of South China Sea. What more do we know about this book?

What flows in the veins of the world's oldest continuous civilization? Today we're in the picturesque Mount Wuyi, where a 12th century scholar Zhu Xi spent 50 years and developed Neo-Confucianism. He also became known as a sage, second only to Confucius himself. His ideas have not only been absorbed by the Chinese but have also travelled to other parts of Asia. With China emphasizing a Chinese approach to modernization, it's necessary to find out more about this ancient figure and his ideas. Who is Zhu Xi and how have his ideas helped to shape the Chinese?