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Chinese President Xi Jinping refused a first invitation to visit Brussels for a summit to mark the 50th anniversary of the links, while the EU questions the sincerity of recent Chinese openings.
Beijing told EU officials that the second chief of China, Prime Minister Li Qiang, would meet the presidents of the European Council and the Commission in Brussels for the summit Rather than XI, two people familiar with the case said.
Accommodation of the EU-China summits traditionally alternates between Brussels and Beijing. The Prime Minister generally attends the summit in BrusselsAnd XI welcomes him to Beijing, but the EU thinks that the importance of this meeting – to commemorate half a century of diplomatic relations – means that the Chinese president should attend, said the people.
The two parties said that the talks continued, but the initial snob has confirmed the opinion of among many in Brussels that China will not add any concrete action to its warm words on the need to cooperate in the face of the assault by American president Donald Trump against the multilateral world order.
The summit of this year arrives at a particularly sensitive moment for Eur-Chinese relations.
Tensions between Brussels and Beijing have increased since Ukraine’s large -scale invasion in Russia in 2022, the EU accans China of supporting the Kremlin. The block also imposed prices on Chinese imports on electric vehicles, saying that they are subsidized.
EU officials claim that China, which has experienced a trade surplus of 304.5 billion euros with the block, does not do enough to rebalance trade by reducing subsidies for its industries and by reducing trade barriers for foreign companies doing business in the second world economy.
“The relationship is on ice,” said a main EU diplomat. “It is a change in tone and not substance. Their policy is not going to change and the same goes for us. »»
Lu Shaye, the former China Ambassador to France who is now the special Beijing representative for European affairs, said that China’s politics has always “recommended peace, friendship, cooperation and mutual benefits”.
“It has never changed. It is just that the contrast to the current American policy towards Europe makes China policy towards Europe even more visionary, fair and reasonable. I hope it could serve as a awakening [for Europe]”He said.
Known as a diplomat of “wolf warrior” for his aggressive diplomacy, Lu provoked an uproar in Europe last year when he wondered if Crimea was part of Ukraine and the sovereignty of the former Soviet republics such as the members of the EU of Letviie, Estonia and Lithuania.
His appointment to manage China’s diplomatic relations with Europe was considered by certain commentators as a hardening of Beijing’s position, but at the same time, another EU diplomat said: “There is an offensive Chinese charm.”
“China even said they expect Europe to have a siege at the negotiating table [in Ukraine peace talks]Added the diplomat. “I also hear about EU-China commercial friction. They still exist, but there is less accent. »»
EU’s head of commerce, Maroš Šefčovič, is expected to visit China at the end of this month. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told Financial Times last month that the EU should also see potential opportunities. When China “can be a partner – let’s take advantage of this,” said Albares.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in February that if the EU continues to “desire” by protecting its industry, “we can find agreements that could even extend our commercial and investment links”.
The 25% prices of Trump on steel and aluminum have forced the EU to respond, even if industrial groups warn against the damage it will cause. But a senior EU said that a critical objective with regard to China was defensive measures to prevent “a wave” of the US market from the American market by prices.
On Friday, the EU opened an anti -dumping survey against Chinese adipic acid exports, used to produce nylon and many other products. This is the 11th case since October, including those concerning soft corn, metal screws and candles.
“Informal discussions are underway on the date of the date of the EU summit in China and the level of representation,” said an EU official.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it had “no information to provide” on the issue.
