EU trade chief in Beijing as Rubio urges Europe to wake up; UK mulls EU ties

EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič begins a key China trip with a deadline to rebalance trade relations, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly urges Europe to 'wake up'—a notable hardening of US rhetoric toward its allies. Simultaneously, London is weighing rejoining the EU, signaling a potential realignment of European alliances. The convergence of these pressures tests Europe's diplomatic and economic positioning.