MotivationalMotivational 24 Jul, 2025 Daniel Collins

EU, China mark diplomatic milestone amid trade and geopolitical tensions European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa are meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing China is a 'critical partner' to Europe, Xinhua says

This blog is now closed. Here's a roundup of the EU-China summit on Thursday, July 24:

EU agrees 'upgraded' mechanism for rare earth supply

The EU has agreed to establish an enhanced mechanism for ensuring the supply of rare earth exports from China, after Beijing introduced curbs on such exports last year, causing production stoppages for European firms.

"We agreed ... to have an upgraded export supply mechanism. In other words, if there are bottlenecks, this upgraded support supply chain support mechanism can immediately check and solve the problem or the issue that is out there," von der Leyen told a press conference in Beijing.

According to the European Commission, China provides 98% of the EU's supply of so-called rare earths, which are vital for clean technology, chipmaking and medical equipment.

The issue has been amajor point of contention between the two sides.

China's stance on Russia's Ukraine war 'determining factor' — von der Leyen

China's future approach to Russia's war in Ukraine will influence bilateral ties with the EU, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said.

"How China continues to interact with Putin's war will be a determining factor for our relations going forward," she said on Thursday.

Speaking in Beijing after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, she said the EU had voiced expectations that China would respond to the bloc's concerns and use its influence on Russia to bring about a ceasefire.

She added that it was important for a ceasefire and negotiations take place to end bloodshed.

European Council President Alexander Costa said the EU was also asking China to scrutinize its exports to Russia to avoid dual-use goods being exploited for warfare.