China’s Russia ties mean EU trade deal is off the table, Finland says

China’s close ties with Russia should be a “disqualifying factor” in Beijing’s bid to launch talks on a free-trade agreement with the European Union, Finland’s foreign minister has said. In meetings with European leaders, Beijing has been floating the prospect of a trade or investment deal, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz last month said a pact could be possible in the future. In an exclusi