China Looks to Deepen EU Relations with Invitation to Top Officials

China has expressed its willingness to host visits from European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a suitable time, aiming to convene a new round of high-level China-EU leadership meetings, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday.

This announcement comes as May 6 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, a milestone as both sides seek to improve ties amid growing uncertainty in global trade driven by broad U.S. tariffs.

Throughout the year, China and the EU plan to engage in high-level discussions covering strategic issues, economic and trade matters, green development, and digitalization. These dialogues will be accompanied by various other events, said foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian at a regular press briefing.

The ministry also confirmed that China and the European Parliament have agreed to lift restrictions on bilateral exchanges. This follows the EU’s announcement last week that China intends to remove sanctions imposed in 2021 on certain members of the European Parliament and its subcommittee on human rights. Those measures were initially enacted in response to Western sanctions over alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang.

Beijing is looking to deepen economic and political engagement with Europe to cushion the impact of U.S. trade barriers affecting a wide range of Chinese exports.

Lin emphasized the importance of enhanced dialogue and cooperation between the two sides, expressing hope that renewed talks would help drive the long-term, stable growth of China-EU relations.