China: Chinese President Xi Jinping Rejects Invitation to Brussels Summit
European leaders invited Xi Jinping to Brussels to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the European Community and the People's Republic of China
Tensions between China and the European Union continue to escalate. According to the British newspaper Financial Times, citing knowledgeable sources in the EU, “Chinese President Xi Jinping rejected an invitation from European leaders to visit Brussels for a summit marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the European Community and the People’s Republic of China.”
Instead of Xi Jinping, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang (pictured) will attend the summit. He will be received by European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to participate in the talks.
As the Financial Times notes, this year European institutions have extended a “special invitation” to the Chinese president to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Xi Jinping’s refusal indicates his unwillingness to engage in discussions on a European peace plan to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Relations between Beijing and Brussels have been strained in recent years: The European Union has repeatedly accused China of providing political and technical support to Russia in the conflict with Ukraine. In addition, the EU has imposed duties on imports of Chinese-made electric cars and initiated an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese exports of a number of chemicals used to produce nylon and other polymers, as well as sweet corn and other products.
