EU-China Summit: the trust deficit threatening trade and diplomacy

Beijing and Brussels are marking 20 years of their strategic partnership but two are odds over Chinese industrial subsidies and a blockade of a member state

The differences are clouding prospects for a leaders’ meeting where the only deliverable may be the talks themselves

Reading Time:4 minutes

EU and Chinese leaders will meet in Beijing next month but hopes for a major outcome are not high. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:00pm, 25 Nov 2023

Two weeks out from a crucial summit in Beijing, frustration is mounting in Brussels that China is not taking EU concerns on trade and geopolitics seriously.

Trade tensions are threatening to bubble over, as the bloc considers action against Chinese subsidies of electric vehicles, wind turbines, medical technology and solar equipment.

European Union leaders rail against overcapacity in the Chinese economy which they fear will be exported to Europe, while rumours swirl around the use of the new foreign subsidies regulation to stymie Chinese battery giant CATL’s massive investments in Hungary. And serious concerns persist about China’s close ties to Russia.

At the same time, a series of Chinese-backed events in the city promoted closer partnership, without addressing the many concerns held in EU institutions.

The exasperation came to the surface on Thursday at another event hosted by Chinese diplomats to toast 20 years of a “comprehensive strategic partnership” with the EU.

A glossy magazine was printed for the occasion, filled with long articles about how the two sides needed to get along, and touting ground for collaboration.