Description: Commemorating 50 years of diplomatic ties, the EU – China Summit was cut short of expectations of reconciliation. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and EU Council President Antonio Costa attended the Summit where several global and bilateral issues have been reportedly tackled. The EU leaders met China’s President Xi Jinping where discussions were held on bilateral trade ties, China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, human rights violations and the effect of the US tariffs. Von der Leyen’s statements resonated with EU’s current position on trade ties with China, as she reiterated Europe’s issues with China’s overproduction capabilities and monopolization of the export – driven economy as well as the rare earth elements markets. China’s unequivocal support for Russia also remained an impactful issue which expectedly remained unresolved. Discussions over the US tariffs were also downgraded as EU is expected to agree towards a 15% fixed tariff rate while China was still engaged in negotiations with the US. The Summit emphasized growing differences between China and the EU and the lack of political will and interest from both sides in working towards some form of strategic rapprochement.
Impact: Europe and China remained in their respective orbits of influence as the Summit highlighted that the divisionary impact of the US tariff impositions was significantly overstated. Europe remains on the global outskirts of international affairs by further endangering trade with China through elevated criticism of the country’s overproduction and export economy. China solidified its dominant role in the bilateral partnership effectively telegraphing to Europe its intentions of not backing down from its global ambitions mostly highlighted through trade cooperation. The commemoration of 50 years of diplomatic ties brought no changes in the strategic positioning of both China and Europe as their trichotomous relationship, as trade partners, geopolitical adversaries and influential international forces remained intertwined between differentiative global agendas. Europe’s stern attitude and political unilateralism in realignment with the US could negatively impact the continent’s already compromised position on the global stage, while China’s behavior has reflected their geopolitical omnipresence and strategic diversification in enforcing the country’s global and national interests.