EU-China summit: key to resume dialogue and resolve problems

Tomorrow, the 23rd EU-China Summit will take place with the participation on the EU side of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel, and on the Chinese side President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

Commenting on the context of the Summit and EU-China relations, BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer said: "This summit takes place at a very challenging time for EU-China relations and international relations more broadly. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia, that we strongly condemn, is leading to enormous human suffering and calls into question the basic principles of the international rules-based order. The war is also exacerbating many challenges related to the COVID-19 crisis, such as rising energy and raw materials prices and disruptions in global supply chains, that were already impacting our economies.

The resumption of political dialogue between the EU and China at the highest level is welcomed. EU and China relations have been through a rough period since sanctions were adopted last year. We hope this summit will contribute to invigorating the dialogue but also allowing to find solutions for problems that have been negatively impacting EU-China relations. In particular, the economically coercive measures that China took against Lithuania are a concern for the European business community. Considering the importance of our economic ties and the numerous common challenges the EU and China face, we need to find ways to address divergencies while cooperating in areas of common interest, like climate change."