EU-China Summit. Ursula von der Leyen made Beijing a condition. "We have reached a turning point" in trade

– Unlike others, Europe maintains its markets open to Chinese goods. However, this openness is not reflected in China's actions," Von der Leyen said at a press conference after gathering with China's president Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang in Beijing.

EPA/XINHUA / Xie Huanchi / PAP

president of China Xi Jinping (S), president of the European Council Antonio Costa (L) and president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (P) during the 25th EU-China Junk in Beijing, China, 24 July 2025.

She stressed that the EU's trade deficit towards China has doubled over the last decade, reaching over EUR 300 billion . “We reached the turning point,” she said. "Trade must become more sustainable," she added.

Expectations of trade advancement were low before the one-day summit as the dispute concerning EU imposition of "penal" duties on Chinese electrical vehicles last year. As part of another ‘eye for an eye’ dispute, both parties closed their public markets for calls for tender for medical devices.

Ursula von der Leyen said that during the talks the leaders focused on marketplace access. It stressed the rule of reciprocity and stated that both parties agreed to work on "specific solutions" for public procurement.

On the issue of overcapacity – the Chinese overproduction of subsidised products specified as steel, solar panels or batteries – she said that Beijing showed willingness to reduce export surpluses by expanding home consumption. "Without the advancement of the European Union, it will be very hard to keep openness", she warned, stressing the importance of redirecting trade flows from another markets that closed the door to Chinese exports.

On export control, Von der Leyen found it crucial to keep reliable supplies of critical natural materialsChina's dominant supplier. She appreciated Beijing's efforts to accelerate supply and make a support mechanics for businesses that request access to specified minerals to their activities.