Tensions undercut EU-China 50th anniversary summit

With tensions running high, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa are scheduled to visit Beijing to mark five decades of EU-China diplomatic ties, Al Jazeera reported on July 23rd.

Originally, the summit was scheduled to be a two-day event in Brussels, but Chinese President Xi Jinping declined the invitation, resulting in a shorter, one-day meeting in Beijing.

Yet, Chinese officials have expressed a desire to repair and improve relations. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun called the EU-China partnership “one of the most influential bilateral relationships in the world” emphasising the need to build upon previous successes and move forward.

Significant disagreements persist, particularly over human rights concerns in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. The relationship deteriorated notably in 2021 after the EU imposed sanctions on Chinese officials over the treatment of Uighur Muslims.

China retaliated by sanctioning European lawmakers and institutions. Although some restrictions were lifted recently, mutual distrust remains.

Another major challenge is China’s close cooperation with Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The EU accuses Beijing of undermining sanctions by purchasing Russian energy and supplying “dual-use” items that could have military applications.

Chinese officials maintain that they support “negotiation, ceasefire, and peace” efforts between Russia and Ukraine. However, European officials remain skeptical, especially after reports that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his EU counterpart that Beijing prefers Russia not to lose the war.

In reaction to China’s support for Moscow, the EU recently imposed sanctions on two Chinese banks and several companies. Beijing condemned these actions, warning they risk harming trade relations and promising retaliatory steps.

Trade tensions are mounting as well. China ranks as the EU’s third-largest trading partner, but the EU’s trade deficit with China has more than doubled since 2015. European officials are increasingly concerned about China’s state-supported exports flooding their markets, especially in the electric vehicle sector.

Amid an ongoing tariff war between the US and China, Beijing also finds Europe’s effort to balance ties between the two powers frustrating. Wang Yi-wei, director of the EU Research Centre at Renmin University, said that China has sometimes “engaged in wishful thinking” by expecting Europe to resist US influence.

These tensions are expected to dominate Thursday’s summit, according to William Yang, a senior analyst at the Brussels-based Crisis Group.

Al Jazeera, Maghrebi.org