Ursula von der Leyen tells Xi Jinping EU-China ties are at ‘inflection point’
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China’s Xi calls for ‘proper handling of frictions’ at tense summit with EU officials
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged top European Union officials to “properly handle differences and frictions” Xi criticised Brussels’s recent trade actions against Beijing at a tense summit dominated by concerns on trade and the Ukraine war. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier called for a rebalancing of trade ties with the world’s second largest economy. Both sides hope to reach a modest joint statement on climate, now one of the rare bright spots in their cooperation. The run-up to the summit saw tit-for-tat trade disputes and hawkish European rhetoric, such as a July 8 accusation that China was flooding global markets as a result of its overcapacity and “enabling Russia’s war economy” The EU is likely to seal a trade deal with the United States for a broad tariff of 15% on its exports after intense negotiations, avoiding a harsher 30% figure threatened by President Donald Trump. But China’s exports of rare earth magnets to the EU surged in June by 245% from May, though that was still 35% lower than the year-earlier figure.
Item 1 of 5 President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen speaks during the opening remarks of the 25th European Union – China Summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, 24 July 2025. ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES/Pool via REUTERS
Summary Xi warns EU leaders to ‘make correct strategic choices’
Von der Leyen says EU-China ties at ‘inflection point’
EU-China summit to tackle trade imbalance, rare earths, Ukraine
BEIJING, July 24 (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping urged top European Union officials on Thursday to “properly handle differences and frictions” as he criticised Brussels’s recent trade actions against Beijing at a tense summit dominated by concerns on trade and the Ukraine war.
Expectations were low for the summit in the Chinese capital marking 50 years of diplomatic ties after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling over its format, with the duration abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing’s request.
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“The current challenges facing Europe do not come from China,” Xi told visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, state news agency Xinhua said.
He urged the EU to “adhere to open cooperation and properly handle differences and frictions”, after von der Leyen earlier called for a rebalancing of trade ties with the world’s second largest economy, saying relations were at an “inflection point”.
“Improving competitiveness cannot rely on ‘building walls and fortresses’, Xi added, according to Xinhua. “‘Decoupling and breaking chains’ will only result in isolation.”
“It is hoped that the European side will keep the trade and investment market open and refrain from using restrictive economic and trade tools,” Xi said.
During the meeting in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, von der Leyen told Xi, “As our cooperation has deepened, so have imbalances,” according to a pool report.
“We have reached an inflection point,” she added, urging China to “come forward with real solutions”.
She was referring to the EU’s trade deficit with China, which ballooned to a historic 305.8 billion euros ($360 billion) last year.
EU trade actions in the past year have targeted Chinese exports of EVs among other goods, and its officials have repeatedly complained about Chinese industrial overcapacity.
In a further veiled criticism of Brussels’ recent hawkish stance on China, Xi also warned EU leaders to “make correct strategic choices”.
The two EU officials are set to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang later. Both sides hope to reach a modest joint statement on climate, now one of the rare bright spots in their cooperation.
At the start of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, both sides had more of a consensus in working together to tackle trade challenges from the United States, said Cui Hongjian, a foreign policy professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University.
“Recently the situation has changed,” Cui said. “The EU has continued to compromise with the United States, which means that there is currently a lack of impetus for EU-China ties to become closer.”
The run-up to the summit saw tit-for-tat trade disputes and hawkish European rhetoric, such as a July 8 accusation by von der Leyen that China was flooding global markets as a result of its overcapacity and “enabling Russia’s war economy”.
In a posting on X on Thursday, however, von der Leyen struck a more conciliatory tone, describing the summit as an opportunity to “both advance and rebalance our relationship”.
Topics the Europeans are expected to raise in the talks are electric vehicles and China’s rare earth export controls that disrupted supply chains worldwide, causing temporary stoppages in European automotive production lines in May.
But China’s exports of rare earth magnets to the EU surged in June by 245% from May, to stand at 1,364 metric tons, though that was still 35% lower than the year-earlier figure, customs data showed.
The EU is likely to seal a trade deal with the United States for a broad tariff of 15% on its exports after intense negotiations, avoiding a harsher 30% figure threatened by President Donald Trump.
($1=0.8492 euros)
Reporting by Liz Lee, Xiuhao Chen and Laurie Chen; Additional reporting by Amy Lv; Editing by Saad Sayeed and Clarence Fernandez
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EU’s von der Leyen says China ties are at ‘inflection point’ at tense summit
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for an “essential” rebalancing of trade ties with China. She met with President Xi Jinping at the start of an event set to be dominated by thorny issues. Both sides are hoping to reach a modest joint statement on climate, currently one of the only bright spots in EU-China cooperation. The EU is likely to seal a trade deal with the United States for a broad tariff of 15% on its exports after intense negotiations, avoiding a harsher 30% figure threatened by the U.S. President Donald Trump. The summit comes after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling over its format, with the duration abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing’s request, state broadcaster CCTV said, in a veiled criticism of Brussels’ hawkish stance on China.
Expectations were low for the summit marking 50 years of diplomatic ties after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling over its format, with the duration abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing’s request.
Von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa met Xi at the start of an event set to be dominated by thorny issues ranging from trade frictions to the Ukraine war.
“As our cooperation has deepened, so have imbalances. We have reached an inflection point,” von der Leyen told Xi during the meeting in the Great Hall of the People.
She was referring to the EU’s trade deficit with China, which ballooned to a historic 305.8 billion euros ($360 billion) last year.
“Rebalancing of our bilateral relation is essential … It is vital for China and Europe to acknowledge our respective concerns and come forward with real solutions.”
However, Xi urged the EU to “make correct strategic choices” during the meeting, state broadcaster CCTV said, in a veiled criticism of Brussels’ hawkish stance on China.
“The more severe and complex the international situation, the more China and the EU must strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation,” Xi told von der Leyen and Costa, it said.
“Chinese and European leaders should … make correct strategic choices that meet the expectations of the people.”
The weeks before the summit were dominated by tit-for-tat trade disputes and hawkish European rhetoric, such as a July 8 accusation by von der Leyen that China was flooding global markets as a result of its overcapacity and “enabling Russia’s war economy”.
Shortly before the summit, however, von der Leyen struck a more conciliatory tone, describing it as an opportunity to “both advance and rebalance our relationship” in a post on X on Thursday.
“I’m convinced there can be a mutually beneficial cooperation,” von der Leyen added.
The two EU officials are set to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang later. Both sides are hoping to reach a modest joint statement on climate, currently one of the only bright spots in EU-China cooperation.
State news agency Xinhua also appeared to downplay Beijing’s rivalry with the 27-member bloc, saying China was a “critical partner” for Europe, with a range of shared interests.
“China is a critical partner to Europe, not a systemic rival,” it said in a commentary.
The two shared interests in trade, climate, and global governance, it said, adding, “These areas of common ground should not be eclipsed by isolated points of friction.”
The EU defines China as a “partner, competitor and systemic rival”, which frames its strategic approach to China policy.
At the summit, European leaders are also expected to raise topics such as electric vehicles and Chinese industrial overcapacity.
China launched rare earth export controls in April that disrupted supply chains worldwide, leading to temporary stoppages in European automotive production lines the following month.
But its exports of rare earth magnets to the EU surged in June by 245% from May, to stand at 1,364 metric tons, though that was still 35% lower than the year-earlier figure, customs data showed.
The EU is likely to seal a trade deal with the United States for a broad tariff of 15% on its exports after intense negotiations, avoiding a harsher 30% figure threatened by President Donald Trump.
(Reuters)
Von Der Leyen Tells Xi EU-China Ties Are at ‘Inflection Point’
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the bloc’s ties with his country “have reached an inflection point” The first in-person EU-China summit since 2023 is exposing a divide between the bloc and Beijing just months after earlier signs of a possible detente. In his opening remarks, Xi said their ties are “at a historical juncture,” urging stronger trust and communication amid global uncertainty.The messages come as the two sides mark the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. The EU inflamed trade tensions when it imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles last year in a bid to ward off a flood of cheap imports. In response, China launched anti-dumping probes into European brandy, dairy and pork..
“As our cooperation has deepened, so have the imbalances,” von der Leyen said on Thursday, according to her prepared remarks. “Rebalancing our bilateral relation is essential. Because to be sustainable, the relations need to be mutually beneficial.”
The first in-person EU-China summit since 2023 is exposing a divide between the bloc and Beijing just months after earlier signs of a possible detente. In his opening remarks, Xi said their ties are “at a historical juncture,” urging stronger trust and communication amid global uncertainty, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The messages come as the two sides mark the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. The meeting has been cut short from two days to one at Beijing’s request, Bloomberg News has reported, with the venue changed from Brussels to the Chinese capital after Xi refused to travel to Europe for the talks.
Von der Leyen and the head of the European Council, Antonio Costa, met the Chinese leader following the EU’s summit with Japan held in Tokyo Wednesday.
While there are no plans to issue a joint communique, the EU intends to release a statement listing the main messages it delivered, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The two sides are also preparing a landmark declaration on climate cooperation. Top officials will sign the document in Beijing on Thursday, according to people familiar with the plans, likely committing both parties to further emissions cuts and to deliver their climate plans to the United Nations before the COP30 summit in Brazil later this year.
The tensions on display this week contrast with hope at the height of the trade war unleashed by Donald Trump for China to repair ties with the EU. Back then, Beijing appeared to be positioning itself as a more reliable partner as Trump alienated the bloc. Now, deep disagreements are once again marring the relationship.
The strains flared into view in April with Beijing’s decision to impose export controls on rare earth magnets, which shook European car companies and other sectors.
Brussels also takes issue with what it considers as Beijing’s support for Moscow. The EU on Friday sanctioned two Chinese banks and five China-based companies as part of its latest measures against Russia.
Trade ties are another source of frustration. The Asian nation’s goods trade surplus reached almost $143 billion in the first half of this year, a record for any six-month period, according to data released last week.
The EU inflamed trade tensions when it imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles last year in a bid to ward off a flood of cheap imports. In response, China launched anti-dumping probes into European brandy, dairy and pork.
“I don’t think that any of us are too optimistic in terms of any sort of grand agreement being reached — and I don’t think that this is really what we should aspire to,” Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said on Bloomberg TV Thursday.
The 50th anniversary of ties offers an opportunity to ask how to “ensure that we have a relationship going forward that continues to deliver benefits from both sides,” he said. “And what we are seeing right now is this increase in trade tension and this perception in particular in Europe, that the benefits of the relationship are no longer being distributed in an equitable manner.”
With assistance from Iain Rogers, Jorge Valero, Fran Wang, David Ingles, Yvonne Man and John Ainger.
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
EU warns China to push Putin to end war as relations hit ‘inflection point’
The EU and China “have reached an inflection point” in their relations, von der Leyen told Xi in her opening remarks in Beijing. “As our cooperation has deepened, so have the imbalances,” she said.
In his opening remarks, Council President Costa also noted the imbalance in economic relations, saying “we need concrete progress on issues related to trade and economy. And we both want our relationship to be balanced, reciprocal and mutually beneficial.”
And he jabbed Beijing over the role it has played in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, we call on China to use its influence on Russia to respect the U.N. Charter and to bring an end to its war of aggression against Ukraine,” Costa said.
The EU last week listed two Chinese banks in its latest sanctions against Russia, leading Beijing to issue “strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition” at the “egregious” move.
President Xi, in his remarks, agreed that EU-China relations are at a “critical juncture.”
EU, China mark 50 years of diplomatic ties – DW – 07
No fundamental conflicts of interest exist between China and the EU, Xi says. He also said any challenges facing the EU at the moment did not emanate from China but from elsewhere. He said Chinese and European leaders must “make correct strategic choices”
07/24/2025 July 24, 2025 No fundamental conflicts of interest between China and EU, Xi says
No fundamental conflicts of interest exist between China and the European Union, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the bloc’s representatives, Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, at their meeting in Beijing.
In comments carried by China’s official Xinhua news agency, he also said any challenges facing the EU at the moment did not emanate from China but from elsewhere.
“The more severe and complex the international situation is, the more important it is for China and the EU to strengthen communication, increase mutual trust and deepen cooperation,” he said.
He said Chinese and European leaders must “make correct strategic choices that meet the expectations of the people and stand the test of history” amid the current global instabilities.
Xi also called on the EU to remain open for trade and investment and to stop using “restrictive economic and trade tools.”
China was also ready to step up cooperation with the EU in the fields of artificial intelligence and climate change, he said.