Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On July 24 and 25, the European Union and China will hold a summit to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations, according to Politico, which cited European Union officials on Thursday.
Top European Union leaders are set to visit China for talks with their Chinese counterparts, despite ongoing economic tensions and U.S. tariffs, on July 24 and 25. Representing the union will be European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa. The summit is reportedly set to take place in Beijing and Anhui.
At a time when trade disputes and European concerns over China’s support for Russia’s war on Ukraine are straining relations, the summit will celebrate the 50th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic ties.
Politico reported that one of China’s objectives for the summit is to have the EU eliminate its tariffs on electric vehicles. According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, negotiations with Brussels on this matter are now in their final stages.
When was the last time the EU and China executives met time?
The President of China, Xi Jinping, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, last met on May 6, 2024. They met in Paris during a trilateral leaders’ meeting with China, France, and the European Union at the Élysée Palace.
On December 7, 2023, the 24th EU-China Summit was held in Beijing. It was the first in-person summit since 2019. It was attended by European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, along with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
The summit’s discussions included trade and economic relations and international issues and were based on the need for a balanced economic relationship and improvements in market access for EU investors.
