Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged the European Union to make “the right strategic choice” and enhance cooperation with China, while EU leaders called for a rebalancing of trade ties, as the two sides tackle deep-seated grievances at a tense summit in Beijing.

Alfred Schipke, Director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore, discusses the trade relationship between EU and China, saying there are low expectations heading into the two trading partners' summit in Beijing.

Half a century after the establishment of relations between China and the EU, and against a backdrop of deteriorating transatlantic relations, the European Union and China held their 25th summit in Beijing.

Beijing is betting that economic pressure and diplomatic defiance will force concessions, but its stance could put more strain on its ties with Europe at a crucial time.

Could the two other major trading powers, China and the European Union, collaborate to intensify their bilateral trade links so as to compensate for America’s isolationism? A summit on July 24th in Beijing will show that the answer is emphatically “no”.

That's the approximate size of the European Union's trade deficit with Beijing, which has doubled over the past decade and become a larger issue for the bloc's officials. "We need to see progress on this issue,

A joint statement promised new efforts to cut emissions at a time when China is positioning itself as the world’s one-stop shop for clean energy technologies.

European leaders are meeting with top Chinese officials in Beijing to discuss trade, climate change and global conflicts.

China is a "critical partner" to Europe with a range of shared interests, state news agency Xinhua said in a commentary piece, downplaying Beijing's rivalry with the European Union bloc hours before a key summit between leaders of both sides on Thursday.