EU-China ties at 'inflection point' after tense Beijing summit

The EU-China summit in Beijing, China, July 24, 2025.
Photo: Reuters

The self-important bigshots of the European Union, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa have dismally failed in China, Hal Turner Radio Show stresses.

Xi refused to visit Europe, prompting von der Leyen & Costa to fly in.

The signs that things would not go well, appeared the very moment the EU Delegation landed at Beijing Airport. No Red Carpet. No high-ranking officials for greeting, and no limo.  

Instead, von der Leyen and her bigshots got put onto a... BUS... and were taken to the Summit location without police escort.

Negotiations at the EU-China Trade Meeting were described as tense, especially on trade and Ukraine issues.

Attendees noted that the China delegation was headed by China President Xi Jinping, and negotiations went so badly, observers describe it as a "catastrophic failure" for the EU.

Xi warned von der Leyen, saying: "China-EU relations are now at a critical historical juncture." Evidently, by creating problems for a profitable partner in Russia, Europe has destroyed the chance to find a major ally in China.

A separate EU press conference by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa in Beijing without Chinese colleagues.
Photo: Reuters

Von der Leyen said EU-China trade ties have hit a "clear inflection point," capping a tense meeting with top Chinese leaders dominated by concerns on commerce and the Ukraine war, Reuters reports.

Expectations were low for the summit marking 50 years of diplomatic ties after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling that led to the duration being abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing's request.

"We have very frankly and openly raised our concerns ... on the trade, investment and geopolitical issues... We have partially identified solutions," von der Leyen said after meeting with Xi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

When asked about a potential trade deal with the U.S., the EU chief said the bloc's focus has been on achieving a negotiated solution, but all other instruments are on the table until "we have a satisfactory result."

"Our relationship with China is of importance, but it stands on its own merits. It's independent of the actions or issues we have with others," she said.

Xi earlier told von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa that the challenges facing Europe do not come from China, urging the bloc to "properly handle differences and frictions."

"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, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

EU trade actions in the past year have targeted Chinese exports of electric vehicles among other goods, and its officials have repeatedly complained about Chinese industrial overcapacity as the bloc's trade deficit with China ballooned to a historic 305.8 billion euros ($360 billion) last year.

Von der Leyen described her meeting with Xi as "excellent".

The two sides also issued a joint statement on climate, reiterating their commitment to new climate action plans across the whole economy.

Von der Leyen said China should use its influence on Russia to encourage negotiations over Ukraine.

"China has an influence on Russia, like the European Union has an influence on Ukraine, and that it is our expectation that China uses this influence to make sure that Russia is coming seriously to the negotiation table," she said.

Costa added that the EU is asking China to pay attention to their exports to Russia to avoid dual-use goods that could be used for war purposes.

China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has a special responsibility to push for a ceasefire with Ukraine, he said.

Von der Leyen said the EU needed a reliable and secure supply of critical raw materials from China.

"We acknowledge China's efforts on fast tracking licenses for the critical raw materials," she said.

"We agreed to have an upgraded export supply mechanism. If there are bottlenecks, this upgraded support in the supply chain support mechanism can immediately check and solve the problem or the issue that is out there."

Von der Leyen suggested on Thursday that the EU may need to reduce its level of openness to Chinese imports without more reciprocity from Beijing.

She said that Chinese leaders had started to look into this issue and expressed their willingness to support more consumption.

"Unlike other major markets, Europe keeps its market open to Chinese goods. This reflects our long-standing commitment to rules-based trade. However, this openness is not matched by China," von der Leyen told reporters after meeting with Chinese leaders in Beijing.

She added that overcapacity, subsidised production that did not match domestic demand and the restriction on Chinese imports by other markets, which in turn put pressure on the EU's single market, were also issues to be addressed.

President of the European Council Antonio Costa thanked China for what he described as 'frank' discussions.

Here are some of his other key comments following the meeting:

• The EU remains committed to deepening the bilateral relationship with China, addressing concerns with honesty.
• Tackling the global challenge of climate change is a shared priority for the EU and China.
• We discussed ways to deepend climate change engagement with China.
• We discussed trade distortions, imbalances and market access issues.
• Fair and mutually beneficial trade relations are possible and should be our joint aim.

Summit cut to one day. No joint communiqué. Trust is fading. The EU Delegation departed early, Hal Turner Radio Show notes.

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