China's partnership with Europe might not last

CHINESE Foreign Minister Wang Yi finishes up, in Germany on Tuesday, a five-country European excursion. The goal has been a low-profile trip, pitching partnership to European allies, but thorny issues including Hong Kong have instead brought controversy and challenge.

The late-August and early September timing of the trip may appear odd, but was selected by China for several reasons. Firstly, Beijing was hoping to avoid public protests - with much of the continent still on holiday - at a troubled time for bilateral ties.

Yet, issues such as the new Chinese security law in Hong Kong, plus Uighur Muslim human rights in Xinjiang province, have been raised with Mr Wang on his pit-stops with ministerial counterparts in Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and France. Worse still, there have been some protests too, including by MPs and MEPs from a new Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.