AFP, STRASBOURG, FranceEuropean Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday said he would seek powers to screen foreign takeovers in Europe’s strategic sectors, amid concern about investment by China. Europe will defend its strategic interests with an EU framework for investment screening,” Juncker said in his annual State of the Union speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Macron has blamed Europe for forgetting EU citizens who are worried about the effects of globalization, helping stoke the populist sentiment that brought on Brexit. However, reports said that Juncker’s plan would be non-binding, amid concern in smaller EU nations about losing Beijing’s investments in their economies. Juncker insisted that Europe remained open for business and would seek to complete trade deals with Australia and New Zealand by the end of his mandate.

Source: Taipei Times September 13, 2017 15:56 UTC