Half a century after the establishment of relations between China and the EU, and against a backdrop of deteriorating transatlantic relations, the European Union and China held their 25th summit in Beijing.

China and the European Union have issued a joint call to action on climate change during a tense summit in Beijing.

Leaders from China and the European Union are now meeting at a summit in Beijing to mark 50 years of historic ties. Expectations were low after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling over its format, with the duration abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing's request.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged the European Union to make “the right strategic choice” and enhance cooperation with China, while EU leaders called for a rebalancing of trade ties, as the two sides tackle deep-seated grievances at a tense summit in Beijing.

Despite calls for cooperation and limited climate pledges, the EU-China summit exposed deep divisions and confirmed that long-term tensions are likely to persit.

Chinese President Xi Jinping criticised Brussels's recent trade actions against Beijing at a tense summit dominated by concerns on trade and the Ukraine war.

The 25th EU-China Summit in Beijing on 24 July 2025 marked 50 years of diplomatic relations. Leaders discussed trade imbalances, global governance, climate action, and strategic dialogue. Despite challenges,

China’s second-in-command Li Qiang had a self-deprecating response when confronted with criticism from a top European Union official that Beijing’s government subsidies played a role in contributing to global imbalances in manufacturing output and demand. The winning formula is working hard - perhaps too hard.

That's the approximate size of the European Union's trade deficit with Beijing, which has doubled over the past decade and become a larger issue for the bloc's officials. "We need to see progress on this issue,

BEIJING - China is a \"critical partner\" to Europe with a range of shared interests, state news agency Xinhua said in a commentary piece, downplaying Beijing's rivalry with the European Union bloc hours before a key summit between leaders of both sides on Thursday.