London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

Europe reluctant to do more about Hong Kong for fear of Beijing’s reaction, say diplomats

So far the EU has limited itself to calls for restraint and ‘political support’ but it is not expected to follow the US lead by implementing specific measures. One diplomat said ‘at the end of the day, I fear that the economic relationship is just too important’
Europe is unlikely to take any concrete action over the escalating situation in Hong Kong, in part because of concerns about its economic relationship with Beijing, diplomats from the continent have said.

Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong have been seeking support from both America and Europe, and on Tuesday the US Senate passed a bill that could suspend the city’s special economic status and sanction officials deemed to have undermined its autonomy.

But diplomats said that while the EU would continue to provide “political support”, it felt constrained by economic considerations.

“The EU has been very unified in the statements it has made, but in reality there is little more that can be done,” said one diplomat who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

In July the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution that called for an independent investigation into police violence against protesters in Hong Kong. It also urged Brussels to impose export controls on Hong Kong to prevent “access to technologies used to violate basic rights”.

The EU has consistently called for a de-escalation of violence and a return to dialogue, and on Monday it responded to the siege at Hong Kong Polytechnic University by saying police use of force should be “strictly proportionate” and urging all sides to exercise restraint.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was also due to discuss the situation with his German and French counterparts, Heiko Maas and Jean-Yves Le Drian, in Brussels on Wednesday.

However, diplomats said Hong Kong campaigners visiting Europe were not “getting the results” they had hoped for, adding that fear of retaliation from China – which issued an angry response to the proposed US legislation – made governments and the EU reluctant to move beyond making statements.

“At the end of the day, I fear that the economic relationship with China is just too important,” one said.

High-profile activists who have visited Europe in recent months include Joshua Wong Chi-fung, who met Maas and members of the German parliament in September to rally support for greater democracy in the city.

A delegation of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists – including former opposition lawmaker Alan Leong Kah-kit and trade unionist Lee Cheuk-yan – also visited Brussels in October to highlight claims of police brutality.

Lee said that action was “simply a matter of political will”, adding that European leaders must decide whether economic ties with China trumped the human rights situation in Hong Kong.

“It depends on what their priorities are,” he said, arguing that if they were concerned “about human rights in Hong Kong, and to de-escalate the violence of the police and support Hong Kong, then they have every capacity to talk to Xi Jinping or the Chinese Communist Party about where they stand”.

Lee also argued that Europe could prevent the export and maintenance of police equipment, such as the French water cannons and armoured cars being used by the city’s police.

Thomas Eder, a researcher at the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin, said the EU would continue to watch the use of force, particularly by the city’s police force.

Xi Jinping hails Greece deals as model for Chinese cooperation with Europe

“Violent methods by protesters are a separate issue. Brussels has made it clear that it considers any violence unacceptable,” he said.

“It is also clear, however, that the police are in a much stronger position looking at both resources and ability to escalate.”
Eder added that while the EU could not act as a mediator it could support credible local or regional efforts to de-escalate the situation.

“The main issue for Europe will be whether Hong Kong’s rule of law and protection of basic freedoms – and thus ‘one country, two systems’ – remain credible,” he said.

Eder said that if Hong Kong’s economy and rule of law were no longer credible, Europe’s “more intimate relationship” with the city compared with the Chinese mainland would have to be re-evaluated – both in terms of economics but also aspects such as extradition treaties.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×