Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, the heads of the European Commission and the European Council respectively, will be in Beijing for a summit to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union.

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.

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.

In May EU leaders said they were ready to “work hand in hand” with China to deal with “common challenges”. But the Europeans’ short-lived friendliness was as much an attempt to manipulate the Americans as it was a bid to woo the Chinese,

On China, European officials are taking an increasingly skeptical view, moving closer to the hard-line consensus that has formed in Washington — a “much greater convergence,” as U.S ...

In Europe, the shift has been palpable. While trade remains robust between the European Union and China, policymakers in many of the continent’s capitals share the United States’ skepticism ...

China controls 85 per cent of global rare-earth processing, a significant risk for Europe. Breaking free from China’s dominance of rare earths will not be a simple feat for the European Union, even though both sides reached a tentative deal to ease Beijing’s limitations on their exports.

Elbridge Colby wants the U.S. military to pivot toward Asia, even if it means turning away from Europe and the Middle East.