Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged the European Union to make “the right strategic choice” and enhance cooperation with China, while EU leaders called for a rebalancing of trade ties, as the two sides tackle deep-seated grievances at a tense summit in Beijing.

Since its inauguration in 2011, the China-Europe Railway Express has been a beacon of innovation and economic connectivity. Originally conceived as a trade land bridge between China and Europe, the railway has become a key driver of interstate economic relations, regional integration and geopolitical stability.

Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, the heads of the European Commission and the European Council respectively, will be in Beijing for a summit to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union.

Beijing is betting that economic pressure and diplomatic defiance will force concessions, but its stance could put more strain on its ties with Europe at a crucial time.

Chinese automakers have shown strong growth in Europe, a region long dominated by German and American brands as the cradle of the global auto industry. Their performance reached a new high in the first half of 2025, even as the overall European market declined.

Half a century after the establishment of relations between China and the EU, and against a backdrop of deteriorating transatlantic relations, the European Union and China held their 25th summit in Beijing.

For the third time in as many months, US and Chinese officials will meet in Europe for trade talks — and this time, Beijing is arriving at the negotiating table more emboldened than ever.

Senior U.S. and Chinese negotiators meet in Stockholm on Monday to tackle longstanding economic disputes at the centre of a trade war between the world's top two economies, aiming to extend a truce keeping sharply higher tariffs at bay.

European leaders are meeting with top Chinese officials in Beijing to discuss trade, climate change and global conflicts.

The South China Morning Post reported on Sunday that "Beijing and Washington are expected to extend their tariff truce by another three months at trade talks in Stockholm beginning on Monday." Also on Sunday,