EU-China ties at 'inflection point', von der Leyen says
:: Beijing, China
:: July 24, 2025
:: Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President
'Unlike other major markets, Europe keeps its market open to Chinese goods. This reflects our longstanding commitment to rules-based trade. However, this openness is not matched by China.'
"So we have reached a clear inflection point. As we said to the Chinese leadership, for trade to remain mutually beneficial it must become more balanced. Europe welcomes competition. We like competition, but competition has to be fair."
Expectations were low for the summit in the Chinese capital marking 50 years of diplomatic ties after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling that led to the duration being abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing's request.
Von der Leyen told the press that the Chinese leadership has started to look into the overcapacity issue, and expressed willingness to support more consumption.
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