Xi Jinping declines EU's invite to anniversary summit, reports FT
Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang is expected to attend the Brussels summit commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, as reported by the Financial Times, rather than President Xi Jinping. Xi Jinping...
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Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang is expected to attend the Brussels summit commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, as reported by the Financial Times, rather than President Xi Jinping.
Xi Jinping reportedly declined an invitation to come to Brussels for the summit, which highlights the growing tensions between Beijing and Brussels. Over the past year, the EU has accused China of dumping certain key goods and engaging in excessive industrial production. Additionally, the EU has imposed a series of retaliatory tariffs on Chinese imports.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Beijing notified EU officials that Prime Minister Li Qiang would engage with the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission instead of Xi. Typically, the prime minister represents China at summits held in Brussels, while the president hosts such events in Beijing. However, due to the significance of this summit, which celebrates half a century of diplomatic ties, the EU had hoped for Xi’s participation.
An EU official commented, “Informal discussions are ongoing, both about setting the date for the EU-China summit this year and the level of representation,” while the Chinese ministry indicated it had no information to provide regarding the matter.
The strain in relations between the EU and China intensified with the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 when the EU accused Beijing of backing Moscow. China has maintained a stance of neutrality regarding the situation in Ukraine and has resisted Western pressure to impose sanctions on Russia, choosing instead to enhance trade with its neighbor. This has led to allegations from EU and NATO countries that China is bolstering Russia’s military efforts by supplying dual-use components suitable for weapons production.
Last year, the rift was exacerbated when the EU enacted tariffs of up to 35.3% on Chinese electric vehicles, claiming that these manufacturers benefited from unfair government subsidies. In response, Beijing imposed tariffs ranging from 30.6% to 39% on brandy imports from the EU, impacting major French cognac producers who are dependent on the Chinese market.
China has also lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization, asserting that the EU’s “protectionist” measures constitute “an abuse of trade remedies” and breach WTO regulations.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
Xi Jinping reportedly declined an invitation to come to Brussels for the summit, which highlights the growing tensions between Beijing and Brussels. Over the past year, the EU has accused China of dumping certain key goods and engaging in excessive industrial production. Additionally, the EU has imposed a series of retaliatory tariffs on Chinese imports.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Beijing notified EU officials that Prime Minister Li Qiang would engage with the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission instead of Xi. Typically, the prime minister represents China at summits held in Brussels, while the president hosts such events in Beijing. However, due to the significance of this summit, which celebrates half a century of diplomatic ties, the EU had hoped for Xi’s participation.
An EU official commented, “Informal discussions are ongoing, both about setting the date for the EU-China summit this year and the level of representation,” while the Chinese ministry indicated it had no information to provide regarding the matter.
The strain in relations between the EU and China intensified with the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 when the EU accused Beijing of backing Moscow. China has maintained a stance of neutrality regarding the situation in Ukraine and has resisted Western pressure to impose sanctions on Russia, choosing instead to enhance trade with its neighbor. This has led to allegations from EU and NATO countries that China is bolstering Russia’s military efforts by supplying dual-use components suitable for weapons production.
Last year, the rift was exacerbated when the EU enacted tariffs of up to 35.3% on Chinese electric vehicles, claiming that these manufacturers benefited from unfair government subsidies. In response, Beijing imposed tariffs ranging from 30.6% to 39% on brandy imports from the EU, impacting major French cognac producers who are dependent on the Chinese market.
China has also lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization, asserting that the EU’s “protectionist” measures constitute “an abuse of trade remedies” and breach WTO regulations.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
