Chinese President Xi Jinping met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa in Beijing on Thursday for a one-day China-EU summit marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The gathering, cut from two days to one, was the first in-person leaders’ meeting since 2023 and came against a backdrop of escalating trade tensions and the war in Ukraine. Von der Leyen told Xi that EU-China relations have reached an “inflection point” and pressed for an “essential” rebalancing of economic ties. She cited the bloc’s record €305.8 billion goods deficit with China and urged Beijing to address industrial overcapacity, widen market access for European companies and curb export restrictions on critical materials. The EU side also asked China to use its influence to help end Russia’s war. Xi countered that Europe’s current challenges “do not come from China” and insisted there are no fundamental conflicts of interest between the two partners. He called on Brussels to keep markets open, refrain from using restrictive trade tools and create a favourable environment for Chinese firms, while expressing willingness to cooperate on artificial intelligence, climate change and other global issues. Although no major breakthroughs were announced, both sides issued a joint statement pledging deeper collaboration on climate action and agreed to maintain high-level dialogue on trade and supply-chain frictions. Officials said further talks will focus on balancing commerce while managing geopolitical differences.