On July 24th, a significant diplomatic meeting will take place in Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping will welcome European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the new President of the European Council, António Costa. Together with Premier Li Qiang, they will participate in the 25th China-EU Summit.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the summit as a historic milestone, stating that both sides are "major powers of globalization, bearers of cultural diversity, and pillars of a multipolar world." Over the past 50 years, trade relations have grown from just $2.4 billion to nearly **$786 billion annually**, and bilateral investments have exceeded **$260 billion**.

However, Beijing also hinted at dissatisfaction: the **EU is allegedly unnecessarily emphasizing issues such as Ukraine and trade rivalry**. China therefore hopes that the summit will "overcome differences" and open a new stage of strategic partnership, promising a return to cooperation and planning for the next 50 years.

The summit comes at a time of geopolitical tension, pressure to de-risk relationships, and growing European caution regarding Chinese influence. The results of the meeting will be closely watched not only in Brussels and Beijing, but also in Washington.

CMG