Chinese language President Xi Jinping adjusts his jacket as he listens on the opening session of the Nationwide Individuals’s Congress, or NPC, on the Nice Corridor of the Individuals on March 5, 2025 in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer | Getty Photographs
Chinese language President Xi Jinping has declined an invite to go to Brussels for a summit to mark the fiftieth anniversary of EU-China diplomatic ties, the Monetary Occasions reported on Sunday.
Beijing advised EU officers that Premier Li Qiang would meet the presidents of the European Council and Fee as an alternative of Xi, the FT mentioned, citing two individuals acquainted with the matter whom it didn’t establish.
The Chinese language premier often attends the summit when it’s held in Brussels, whereas the president hosts it in Beijing, however the EU needs Xi to take care of commemorate half a century of relations between Beijing and the bloc, the newspaper mentioned.
Tensions between Brussels and Beijing have grown since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the EU accusing China of backing the Kremlin, the FT mentioned.
Final yr, the European Union additionally imposed tariffs on Chinese language electrical automobile imports.
China’s Overseas Ministry and the EU didn’t instantly reply to Reuters requests for remark.
“Casual discussions are ongoing, each about setting the date for the EU-China summit this yr and the extent of illustration,” an EU official advised the newspaper, whereas the Chinese language ministry was quoted as saying it didn’t have any data to offer on the matter.
China, the world’s second-biggest economic system, and the EU, its third-largest, spent most of 2024 exchanging barbs over allegations of overcapacity, unlawful subsidies and dumping in one another’s markets.
In October, the EU imposed double-digit tariffs on China-made electrical autos after an anti-subsidy investigation, along with its commonplace automotive import responsibility of 10%. The transfer drew loud protests from Beijing, which in return, raised market entry boundaries for sure EU merchandise comparable to brandy.
