At a tense summit in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on European Union leaders to manage bilateral frictions appropriately as he denounced recent EU trade actions against China. Held during a time of heightened diplomatic tensions, the meeting marked 50 years of official ties but was notably shortened to a single day at China’s request. The agenda was overshadowed by mounting trade concerns and ongoing issues related to the Ukraine war.
President Xi emphasized that the challenges currently faced by Europe do not stem from China and urged the European Union to pursue open cooperation. He cautioned against the use of “restrictive economic and trade tools,” warning that moves towards isolationism and economic decoupling would only lead to mutual setbacks. Xi specifically challenged Brussels’ recent decisions on trade, asserting that “building walls and fortresses” to boost competitiveness is not the solution.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen countered by highlighting the deepening imbalances in trade relations, pointing to the EU’s record €305.8 billion trade deficit with China last year. She asserted that relations had reached an “inflection point” and pressed China to propose substantial solutions to address these disparities. The EU has taken action in the past year against imports such as Chinese electric vehicles, citing concerns about industrial overcapacity.
Despite the sharp exchanges, both sides expressed hope to agree on a limited joint statement focused on climate cooperation—a rare area of potential progress. Observers noted that, while the US and EU once aligned more closely on trade issues with China, the situation has shifted. The summit followed a period marked by tit-for-tat trade disputes and strong European rhetoric, including claims that China’s export strategies are distorting global markets and supporting Russia’s war economy.