Thu, 24 Jul 2025

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 EU chief says ties with China at 'inflection point'

A summit between China and the European Union is cut to just a day as ties grow fraught.

* The EU-China summit in Beijing reached an "inflection point" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warning that imbalances in trade have deepened.
* Von der Leyen said China's ties with Russia are now a determining factor in its relations with the EU, and urged both sides to find "real solutions".
* Xi Jinping called for "mutual trust" with EU countries and warned against decoupling and severing supply chains.
* The EU has criticized China for industrial overcapacity and imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, leading to a €305.8bn trade deficit last year.
* Von der Leyen said rebalancing will involve increasing market access for European companies in China, reducing export controls and limiting the impact of overcapacity.
* Xi urged EU leaders to "properly manage differences" and said that current challenges facing Europe do not come from China.
* The two sides also discussed China's role in the Russia-Ukraine war, with Von der Leyen pressing Xi to persuade Putin to end the conflict.
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