EU-China summit: in the shadow of war

The Europeans want to persuade Beijing to distance itself from its ally Russia at Friday’s virtual summit. The prospects of a breakthrough are admittedly slim. However, the fact that the summit is taking place at all is already considered a success.

It has been almost two years since representatives of the European Union and China gathered for a summit meeting. In 2021, the meeting, which was actually scheduled annually, was canceled, and possible dates were repeatedly postponed. The online conference on Friday, however, now comes at an inopportune time for both sides. The 27 EU member states are „reconsidering“ their relations with Beijing in a „new global context“. The reason is China’s reluctance to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Ukraine war will thus dominate the meeting.

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