
European leaders react to the Democratic Party's landslide victory in US midterm elections, expressing cautious optimism regarding the future of the transatlantic alliance despite ongoing concerns over Ukraine, trade, and NATO defence spending.
AI-generated summary
The transatlantic alliance has faced significant strain over the past two years due to shifts in US foreign policy under President Donald Trump. This includes changes in support for Ukraine and NATO.
After almost two years in which the transatlantic alliance verged on collapse, a Democratic landslide in the US midterm elections was welcomed in Europe on Wednesday, even if few believed it would be a panacea for ailing ties.
The Democratic Party swept both chambers of the US Congress in a crushing rebuke of US President Donald Trump’s two-year record. For Europe, that period has led to a shattering of the post-war order and deep schisms in the Western coalition.
Trump has pulled US support for Ukraine and moved closer to Russia, threatened to seize the Danish territory of Greenland and made clear that Europe must pay for its own defence, leaving the future of Nato uncertain.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to reports that the heads of state of China, the United States and Russia met during APEC in Shenzhen, saying that China maintains communication with relevant parties. The Kremlin says all parties are theoretically willing to talk. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier disclosed that Xi Jinping was confused by the rumors of a trilateral summit and said that the conflict in Ukraine is a European conflict and Europeans must sit at the negotiating table. Zelensky warned not to let the meeting turn into a new version of the "Yalta Conference."
The 11th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Beijing on November 4. Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Sihasak of Thailand, the co-chairman country, jointly met with reporters. Wang Yi said that the foreign ministers of the six countries unanimously agreed to push the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation to a new level and proposed five cooperation directions, including unity and self-reliance, openness and win-win, green innovation, security cooperation and disaster management.

India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated that Delhi will prioritize domestic manufacturing over Chinese technology concessions following new curbs on tunnelling equipment, potentially impacting infrastructure projects and bilateral relations.

Five Uyghurs detained in Thailand face the risk of being deported to China. Human rights groups have warned they may be tortured in China. Thailand's National Security Council stated that if China files an extradition request, it will be decided by the court. The person concerned stated that he refused to return to China and would rather go to a third country.
Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of China, met with Deng Hongsen, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, in Beijing. The two sides reached a consensus on strengthening intellectual property cooperation, supporting the reform of the global intellectual property governance system, promoting cutting-edge technology issues such as artificial intelligence, and benefiting countries in the global South.
On November 4, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn in Beijing. The two sides reached consensus on Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, China-Cambodia bilateral relations, combating telecommunications fraud and strengthening strategic alignment, and reaffirmed the deepening of the construction of a community with a shared future between China and Cambodia.