Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is touring Europe from 30 June to 6 July, visiting the European Union’s headquarters in Brussels, Germany and France for a series of high-level strategic dialogues intended to prepare the ground for an EU-China summit later this month, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Beijing and Brussels. In Brussels on 2 July, Wang met EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas for the 13th China-EU High-Level Strategic Dialogue. Both sides said they aim to expand cooperation while "properly managing differences" on trade and security issues, and agreed to work toward concrete outcomes at the forthcoming leaders’ meeting. The following day in Berlin, Wang and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul held the eighth China-Germany Strategic Dialogue on Diplomacy and Security. Addressing European unease over China’s April licensing requirement for rare earth exports, Wang said the materials "have not been, are not, and will not be a problem between China and Europe" and pledged that legitimate applications would be processed quickly. Wadephul acknowledged ongoing "great concern" but said the two governments were seeking "sustainable joint solutions." Wang also met Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was invited to visit China later this year. Concluding the trip in Paris, the Chinese foreign minister told his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot that Beijing is ready to cooperate with France in nuclear power, aviation, artificial intelligence, green energy and biotechnology. Wang and Barrot co-chaired the seventh meeting of the China-France high-level people-to-people exchange mechanism, with both sides calling for deeper cultural and youth links ahead of next year’s 60th anniversary of bilateral relations.