BEIJING] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the bloc’s ties with his country “have reached an inflection point,” opening a summit shadowed by tensions spanning trade to the war in Ukraine.

First in-person EU-China summit since 2023 is exposing a divide between the bloc and Beijing just months after earlier signs of a possible detente.

The summit between the two economic superpowers, intended to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties, has highlighted the frustrations of the European Union, which faces a €300 billion trade deficit with China.