EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on Thursday, July 24th, that China’s growing alignment with Russia had become the “determining” factor in EU-China relations, as she concluded a tense summit in Beijing. The visit also saw China agree to speed up exports of rare earth minerals to the EU—materials on which the bloc remains heavily dependent.
The summit, intended to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties between the EU and China, instead highlighted serious disagreements. Brussels raised concerns over trade imbalances, market distortion, and Beijing’s tacit support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
According to the EU, China’s close political and economic ties with Moscow have helped Russia withstand Western sanctions since the 2022 invasion. China denies playing such a role.
Speaking alongside European Council President Antonio Costa, von der Leyen said the EU had conveyed its expectation that China would use its influence to bring Russia to the negotiating table and end the conflict. “We expressed our expectations that China would follow up on our concerns,” she said.
The EU also pointed to its $360 billion trade deficit with China, which von der Leyen described as “unsustainable.” European manufacturers have increasingly warned that Chinese goods, boosted by state subsidies, are flooding the market and undercutting domestic production.
In response, Brussels has imposed significant tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, arguing that the subsidies give Chinese firms an unfair advantage. China rejected the accusation and responded with probes targeting European imports, including pork, brandy, and dairy products—measures widely seen as retaliatory.
The summit underlined both the EU’s growing economic reliance on China and the political challenges in rebalancing the relationship at a time of heightened global tensions.
