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South China Morning Post

Europe is not an easy ally against China, former US trade representative Charlene Barshefsky says

The United States should realise that it is not going to be easy to get European allies on board to fight China because of the different priorities each country faces, a former top US trade negotiator said on Wednesday. “Europe might think of China differently from the United States, and therefore might be less capable of joining the United States’ effort” in its battle against China, said Charlene Barshefsky, former United States trade representative under the Clinton administration, at an event hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce. “As we look at the European picture, the constraints they are under, the general interests that we hold in common, Europe will end up doing a balancing act,” said Barshefsky, who had led the negotiation with China for its entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001. She is now chair at Parkside Global Advisors.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. And a balancing act “implies the US doesn’t get everything it wants”, said Barshefsky, referring to the difficulty the US is likely facing in convincing its European counterparts to curtail trades in technology, restrain business transactions and join in on sanctions against China. For one, Europe is highly dependent on China in its exports. In 2020, China overtook the US to become the top trading partner with the European Union, with goods and services traded reaching US$709 billion, compared to the US$671 billion traded between the EU and the US, according to Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office. “The US may want to retain its status as the sole superpower or as a superpower in the world. Europe is not going to fight with China in order to preserve America’s unique role in the world,” Barshefsky said. “That’s a US interest. It is not an interest Europe would necessarily fight China over.” Other considerations include the disagreement between northern Europe and southern Europe in their views about China, which could prevent the continent from speaking with one single voice when it comes to its stance against the Asian country. Breakthrough in chips materials could push back the ‘end’ of Moore’s Law Europe’s ambition to become strategically autonomous would also make the region less incentivised to follow the US. “If Europe wants to embrace strategical autonomy, how could it follow the United States?” Barshefsky asked. More importantly, many countries across the Atlantic have a different perception of threat regarding China, she said. “Europe does not feel a security risk from China,” she said. “Europe is not positioned in the Pacific the way the United States is. And the result is that Europe does not feel a sense of imminent threat, as the United States might be feeling. “Many Europeans believe, even indirectly, there is no threat from China.” Former secretary of state Mike Pompeo lobbied for years for European countries to exclude Chinese tech company Huawei from their 5G infrastructure for national security reasons. Germany held out for a long time, saying the right way to deal with China on 5G was to come up with new rules to ensure security. Even after Germany fell in line with the EU in April to pass stricter legislation on Huawei, critics doubted the rules would be fully implemented. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel pushed for an investment agreement to be signed with Beijing in December, sending a signal to the Biden administration of strong economic ties between Europe and China shortly before the new president was sworn in. Barshefsky warned “the United States may find, even with the best of intention on the part of all parties, that cooperation falls short of achieving particular goals”. China’s investment deal with Europe set for the freezer “You can be close friends but have significant differences with respect to certain interests,” she said. “You’re under different pressures and every country has its politics.” Europe has made it clear, however, that it is disturbed by China’s behaviour on human rights related issues, Chinese distorted trade and economic policies, and on fundamental values. The leaders in Europe are growing increasingly torn between its economic interests and the obligations to hold up human rights. European Union lawmakers plan to vote on Thursday to formally halt the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment it signed in December, in response to China’s human rights issues related to Xinjiang.More from South China Morning Post:US Senate advances bill to fund tech development to counter ChinaChina backs IP waiver for coronavirus vaccinesChina’s WTO reform aspirations take centre stage at globalisation seminarUS urges WHO to invite Taiwan to annual meeting, a move opposed by ChinaThis article Europe is not an easy ally against China, former US trade representative Charlene Barshefsky says first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.

When it comes to engagement rings, why should women get all the bling? A new trend is emerging as men celebrate their part in an upcoming wedding: Put a (glittering) ring on it.

Since 1886, Tiffany & Co. has featured diamond engagement rings for women. But now, for the first time in 135 years, the fabled jeweler is offering a unique collection of diamond engagement rings for men  — some are calling them “man-gagement rings” — as it taps into a new market for high-end jewelry amid changing attitudes about showcasing public commitment to each other and notions of equality.

The retailer, which is now owned by French luxury conglomerate LVMH, recently debuted its first-ever men’s engagement ring, with a selection that includes a single round-brilliant or emerald-cut diamond measuring up to five carats encased in a platinum or titanium setting. Prices for the Tiffany jewelry, which resembles a man’s signet ring, range from $15,600 to $278,500.

Tiffany & Co. has introduced a new collection of diamond engagment rings for men. (Photo courtesy of Tiffany & Co.)

The new collection of men’s rings, named after the company’s founder, Charles Lewis Tiffany, “honors the jeweler’s long-standing legacy in love and inclusivity, paving the way for new traditions to celebrate our unique love stories and honor our most cherished commitments to one another,” the company notes in a statement.

Texas is an important market for the new collection, with a large Love & Engagement section featuring the Tiffany True bridal collection and the Charles Tiffany Setting collection at Tiffany’s new store in Legacy West, opening in Plano on June 19. The rings are also available in Houston at The Galleria and Woodlands Tiffany stores,  in Dallas at NorthPark Center and Galleria Dallas, and in Fort Worth at The Shops at Clearfork.

While Tiffany in the first major jeweler to offer a collection of engagement rings aimed at men, such high-end Houston jewelers as Zadok Jewelers, Tenenbaum Jewelers, Deutsch Fine Jewelry and Valobra Master Jewelers are creating custom-made engagement rings according to a client’s wishes. Tenenbaum Jewelers is also currently designing a men’s six-carat emerald cut diamond engagement ring modeled after a ring owned by president and CEO Tony Bradfield. It retails for $98,800.

Bradfield notes that an increasing number of men are looking for diamond jewelry with bold, strong design as they redefine what masculinity looks like right now.

“Many couples now see an engagement ring as a symbol of their mutual commitment, and men want to partake in that excitement,” Bradfield tells PaperCity. “As marriage has become more egalitarian, more women are doing the proposing. And because we have always had a wide selection of men’s rings as well as custom design services, Tenenbaum has also been a destination for same sex couples for many years.”

Such high-end jewelers as Bulgari, Cartier and De Beers also have recently fashioned men’s collections with more bling that can double as engagement rings and wedding bands.

Men’s Engagement Rings Take Off

In recent years, searches for male engagement rings have skyrocketed by more than 66 percent, according to a report by global fashion search platform Lyst. Male same sex couples are credited for part of the rise, but some famous heterosexual men, such as Ed Sheeran and Michael Bublé, have prominently been photographed wearing an engagement ring.

When Sheeran sported a ring before his marriage to longtime girlfriend Cherry Seaborn two years ago, onlookers assumed they had secretly married earlier. But Sherran explained, “I’m not married. I’m wearing an engagement ring as well. I feel like, you know, you both should.”

The ring was created by Seaborn.

More than a decade ago, Bublé flashed his engagement ring while on tour, telling fans that men’s engagement rings are a tradition in Argentina, the home country of his then-fiancée  Luisana Lopilato. (The couple married in 2011.)

Singer Michael Bublé was ahead of the trend, wearing an engagement ring in 2010 because he said it’s common to do that in Argentina, where his wife is from. (Courtesy photo)

According to Brides magazine, engagement rings first appeared in Ancient Rome to  signified a business contract or to affirm mutual love and obedience at a time when a woman was considered to be a man’s property. They were officially sanctioned by Pope Nicholas in the year 850.

Now, of course, in our more egalitarian times, engagement rings can symbolize mutual respect and commitment.

While the trend is just starting to take hold in Houston, wedding planner Deborah Elias, president of Elias Events, says it’s something she has noticed, particular from her gay male clients, for a while.

“Since men don’t get much in the way of jewelry options other than watches and cufflinks,” Elias says. “This really allows them to customize their rings to fit personalities and lifestyle.”