Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Europe and China to make “correct strategic choices” during a summit with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa in Beijing. The 25th EU-China summit, marking 50 years of diplomatic relations, comes at a time of significant challenges, including a large EU-China trade deficit and Beijing's support for Russia's war efforts. The meeting, smaller than initially planned, is the first in-person summit since 2023.

Despite strained relations, an agreement on climate change and carbon emissions is expected to be signed. Both sides have presented the summit as an opportunity to normalize relations amidst global uncertainty. Von der Leyen expressed hope for a mutually beneficial cooperation to define the next 50 years of EU-China relations.

Impact Statement: The success of the summit in improving EU-China relations could have significant implications for global trade, climate cooperation, and geopolitical stability.