Beijing will next week host the 25th European Union (EU) – China summit, the EU Council announced in an official statement on Friday.
President of the EU Council Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will attend the leaders’ summit on July 24th.
Media had previously reported that a two-day summit was planned, but that it was shortened to just one day at Beijing’s insistence.
The summit is expected to address the war between Russia and Ukraine, rare earth elements, and trade protection in the wake of tariffs from the Trump administration.
Beijing has yet to issue an official statement about the planned summit.
The 24th China-EU leaders’ summit was held in Beijing in December 2023, attended by former European Council President Charles Michel, von der Leyen, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Before the China-EU summit, EU leaders will hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Notably, a delegation from the European Parliament will visit Taiwan from Monday to Wednesday to meet with Taiwanese authorities and representatives of civil society, according to a statement from the parliament.
Early Friday morning, the EU sanctioned Chinese banks over trade with Russia, which Beijing opposed, calling on the “European side” not to undermine the “legitimate interests of Chinese companies without reasonable grounds.”
