The European Commission is acutely aware of the importance of Chinese trade for any economic recovery from the deep slowdown caused by the virus. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen attempted to bridge the issues in a video conference with Chinese prime minister Li Keqiang, which was followed by exchanges with Chinese president Xi Jinping. A major Brussels-Beijing summit had been scheduled for this year to mark 45 years of trade relations, but was postponed due to the pandemic. ”What is needed to break the deadlock is engagement at high political level and that is what today’s summit will hopefully provide,” a European Commission official said ahead of the meeting. Ahead of the talks, Li Keqiang said the EU and China were partners more than competitors.

Source: The Irish Times June 22, 2020 17:37 UTC