EU leaders met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday for a one-day summit focused on trade imbalances, global conflicts and strategic tensions, but expectations for major breakthroughs remained low due to hardened positions and rising geopolitical strain.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa held talks with China’s President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Thursday, marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the European Union and China.
Originally planned as a two-day event, the summit was scaled back to one day amid mounting global uncertainties, including wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and fears of renewed U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump.
Trade imbalances topped the agenda. China and the European Union have multiple disputes across key industries, but none as pressing as the bloc’s €400 billion trade deficit with China. European officials also raised concerns over Beijing’s support for Russia, cyberattacks, and its near-monopoly on rare earths.
Human rights issues in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong were addressed, but analysts say little progress was expected.
“It will be very hard to achieve something concrete,” said Fabian Zuleeg of the European Policy Centre.
Despite the challenges, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to economic cooperation, with von der Leyen calling for “mutually beneficial ties.” However, observers noted a hardened stance from Beijing.
“China has come away emboldened from its confrontation with Trump,” Zuleeg said, adding that Beijing now sees “less of a need to woo Europe.”
China remains the EU’s second-largest trading partner, but divisions on security, values and global governance continue to define the relationship.
North Korea’s Workers' Party of Korea has re-elected Kim Jong Un as general secretary during the party congress in Pyongyang state media reported....
The European Parliament’s trade chief has urged a temporary suspension of the EU–U.S. trade agreement approval, citing “tariff chaos” followin...
China says it's making a "full assessment" of the U.S. Supreme Court's tariff ruling and urged Washington to lift "relevant unilateral tariff measures...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 23rd of February, covering the latest developments you need to...
A “Victory will be ours” banner was hung on the Russian Embassy in Seoul, ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukr...
North Korea’s Workers' Party of Korea has re-elected Kim Jong Un as general secretary during the party congress in Pyongyang state media reported.
The European Parliament’s trade chief has urged a temporary suspension of the EU–U.S. trade agreement approval, citing “tariff chaos” following President Donald Trump’s new 15% tariffs and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidating his previous global tariff programme.
China says it's making a "full assessment" of the U.S. Supreme Court's tariff ruling and urged Washington to lift "relevant unilateral tariff measures" on its trading partners, the Chinese commerce ministry said in a statement on Monday (23 February).
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 23rd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A seven-month-old Japanese macaque has drawn international attention after forming an unusual bond with a stuffed orangutan toy after being rejected by its mother.
Divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus broke through the ice of on Lake Baikal in Russia, authorities said.
UK politicians have renewed calls for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, to be removed from the line of succession following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office and revelations over his links to convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday (21 February) that he will raise temporary tariffs on nearly all U.S. imports from 10% to 15%, the maximum allowed under the law, after the Supreme Court struck down his previous tariff program.
Pakistan said it carried out cross-border strikes on militant targets inside Afghanistan after blaming a series of recent suicide bombings, including attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, on fighters it said were operating from Afghan territory.
China says it's making a "full assessment" of the U.S. Supreme Court's tariff ruling and urged Washington to lift "relevant unilateral tariff measures" on its trading partners, the Chinese commerce ministry said in a statement on Monday (23 February).
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 23rd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A “Victory will be ours” banner was hung on the Russian Embassy in Seoul, ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It remains on display despite a request from the South Korean Foreign Ministry on Sunday (22 February) for its removal, sparking widespread criticism.
North Korea’s Workers' Party of Korea has re-elected Kim Jong Un as general secretary during the party congress in Pyongyang state media reported.
The European Parliament’s trade chief has urged a temporary suspension of the EU–U.S. trade agreement approval, citing “tariff chaos” following President Donald Trump’s new 15% tariffs and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidating his previous global tariff programme.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment