The Chinese government plans to cancel part of a two-day summit with European Union leaders scheduled for later this July, in the latest sign of growing strain between Beijing and Brussels.
According to sources familiar with the summit arrangements, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, the second day of meetings in China will be canceled at Beijing’s request. One source noted that the plans remain subject to final confirmation.
Originally, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on July 24. The EU delegation was then expected to travel the following day to Hefei in central China for a business summit. Now, the meeting has been reduced to just a single day in Beijing.
Growing EU-China Tensions
President Xi has sought to position himself as a more reliable partner than U.S. President Donald Trump, whose policies—from tariffs to defense—have unsettled allies. But relations between Beijing and Brussels are increasingly tense, largely due to persistent disagreements over the war in Ukraine and China’s industrial policy.
Adding to the strain is a deepening trade imbalance, worsened by China’s recent restrictions on exports of rare-earth magnets—a move that hit European industries hard.
Last month, Bloomberg reported that both sides had already canceled the high-level economic and trade dialogue, as well as a planned digital forum. These talks usually pave the way for the annual leaders’ summit, but the EU called them off due to lack of progress on trade issues.
The relationship continues to face repeated tests. After the EU imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles last year, Beijing responded with anti-dumping investigations targeting European products such as brandy, dairy derivatives, and pork. The brandy investigation is expected to conclude this Sunday.
China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The summit downsizing comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tours Europe, with meetings scheduled in Brussels, Germany, and France.
European Criticism of China’s Trade Policies
In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul criticized China for its recent export controls on rare earths, stating: “Unfortunately, our companies now face unilateral and non-transparent restrictions.” After his meeting with Wang on Thursday, Wadephul added, “This lack of clarity harms our trade relationship and undermines China’s image as a reliable trading partner,” urging fair and balanced trade ties.
Wang, speaking alongside Wadephul, defended the controls, saying rare earths are “dual-use goods” and must be subject to regulatory oversight, describing the issue as “part of our sovereignty.”
Neither side mentioned the summit’s downsizing during their press conference.
Chinese Concern Over U.S.-EU Alignment
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, during her meeting with Wang on Wednesday, emphasized the need to rebalance economic relations and end “distortive practices,” especially restrictions on rare-earth exports, according to an EU statement. She also urged China to end its support for Russia’s military-industrial complex and back a full, unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Wang called on both sides to view each other as partners rather than rivals, stressing that differences should be addressed through dialogue and engagement, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.
Beijing is increasingly concerned about the possibility of the EU signing a trade agreement with the United States that could harm Chinese interests—particularly if it mirrors Washington’s pact with the UK, which includes provisions on supply chain security, export controls, and ownership rules in key sectors like steel.
The decision to scale back the summit appears to have caught some off guard. As of Thursday morning (Beijing time), the EU Chamber of Commerce in China was still emailing members inviting them to register for meetings planned in Hefei.
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Egypt Daily News – The Chinese government plans to cancel part of a two-day summit with European Union leaders scheduled for later this July, in the latest sign of growing strain between Beijing and Brussels.
According to sources familiar with the summit arrangements, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, the second day of meetings in China will be canceled at Beijing’s request. One source noted that the plans remain subject to final confirmation.
Originally, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on July 24. The EU delegation was then expected to travel the following day to Hefei in central China for a business summit. Now, the meeting has been reduced to just a single day in Beijing.
Growing EU-China Tensions
President Xi has sought to position himself as a more reliable partner than U.S. President Donald Trump, whose policies from tariffs to defense have unsettled allies. But relations between Beijing and Brussels are increasingly tense, largely due to persistent disagreements over the war in Ukraine and China’s industrial policy.
Adding to the strain is a deepening trade imbalance, worsened by China’s recent restrictions on exports of rare-earth magnets a move that hit European industries hard.
Last month, Bloomberg reported that both sides had already canceled the high-level economic and trade dialogue, as well as a planned digital forum. These talks usually pave the way for the annual leaders’ summit, but the EU called them off due to lack of progress on trade issues.
The relationship continues to face repeated tests. After the EU imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles last year, Beijing responded with anti-dumping investigations targeting European products such as brandy, dairy derivatives, and pork. The brandy investigation is expected to conclude this Sunday.
China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The summit downsizing comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tours Europe, with meetings scheduled in Brussels, Germany, and France.
European Criticism of China’s Trade Policies
In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul criticized China for its recent export controls on rare earths, stating: “Unfortunately, our companies now face unilateral and non-transparent restrictions.” After his meeting with Wang on Thursday, Wadephul added, “This lack of clarity harms our trade relationship and undermines China’s image as a reliable trading partner,” urging fair and balanced trade ties.
Wang, speaking alongside Wadephul, defended the controls, saying rare earths are “dual-use goods” and must be subject to regulatory oversight, describing the issue as “part of our sovereignty.”
Neither side mentioned the summit’s downsizing during their press conference.
Chinese Concern Over U.S.-EU Alignment
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, during her meeting with Wang on Wednesday, emphasized the need to rebalance economic relations and end “distortive practices,” especially restrictions on rare-earth exports, according to an EU statement. She also urged China to end its support for Russia’s military-industrial complex and back a full, unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Wang called on both sides to view each other as partners rather than rivals, stressing that differences should be addressed through dialogue and engagement, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.
Beijing is increasingly concerned about the possibility of the EU signing a trade agreement with the United States that could harm Chinese interests, particularly if it mirrors Washington’s pact with the UK, which includes provisions on supply chain security, export controls, and ownership rules in key sectors like steel.
The decision to scale back the summit appears to have caught some off guard. As of Thursday morning (Beijing time), the EU Chamber of Commerce in China was still emailing members inviting them to register for meetings planned in Hefei.
