The Chinese government plans to shorten the duration of the summit between the European Union and the China, scheduled for the end of July, to one day.
According to Chinese media, a two-day summit was originally planned. On July 24, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa planned to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and visit Hefei on July 25. However, the summit will be limited to a meeting in the Chinese capital. Plans may be adjusted before they are finalised.
The reduction in the duration of the summit indicates growing tensions in relations between Brussels and Beijing. Historically, relations between the EU and China have experienced both periods of co-operation and conflict. On the one hand, China is one of Europe’s largest trading partners, while on the other, both sides face challenges related to human rights, environmental policy and security issues.
In recent years, these differences have become more apparent, making the upcoming meeting even more significant.
Earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed confidence that the world would not descend into chaos if China and the European Union adhered to multilateralism.
