The China Europe Leaders Meeting was held in Beijing this week, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the common interests of China and Europe far outweigh differences

On the 4th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced that the 24th China EU Leaders' Meeting will be held in Beijing on the 7th, as agreed by both China and Europe.   Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council, will co chair the meeting with Michelle and von der Leyen. Zhao Junjie, a researcher at the European Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Global Times on the 4th that in the past, China Europe relations have experienced a "golden period" and also a "period of ups and downs". However, overall, China Europe relations have shown resilience and cannot be separated from each other. Especially in some major international affairs, cooperation between the two sides is very important.
On the 4th, the EU delegation to China also released the news of the China Europe Leaders' Meeting held this week. In an email sent to the media, it stated that this will be the first time since 2019 that the China Europe Leaders' Meeting has resumed offline face-to-face. "This meeting will be an important opportunity for the EU and China to engage at the highest level to promote constructive and stable China Europe relations.". The EU delegation to China introduced that this meeting will focus on China Europe relations and international affairs. The leaders of both sides will explore how to achieve a more balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade relationship, as well as topics of common concern such as climate change, food security, global health, and epidemic prevention.
Public information shows that the China Europe Leaders' Meeting is the highest level political dialogue mechanism between China and Europe, which began in 1998. Before the COVID-19 epidemic, this meeting was held in Europe and China in turn in most cases. In June 2020 and April 2022, this meeting was held through online video format.

Bloomberg reported on the 4th that prior to the China Europe summit, the two sides had held a series of high-level meetings on trade, foreign policy, and other issues. In September, the Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner of the European Commission, Dong Brovskis, visited China. In October, the EU's High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Borrell, visited China. Reuters also mentioned on the 4th that in recent months, EU and Chinese officials have held several high-level talks in Beijing, seeking to find common ground in complex relationships. How to find a balance between "risk reduction" and cooperation with China in areas such as climate change is a major topic of debate in the EU this year.

European media Euractiv believes that trade tensions may become one of the important issues. In October, the European Commission announced its decision to launch a countervailing investigation into pure electric passenger vehicles imported from China. Bloomberg said that the EU has stated on one hand that it wants to reduce its dependence on China in key areas, and on the other hand, it emphasizes that it will not seek economic decoupling.
Zhao Junjie, a researcher of the European Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on the 4th that the current decision-making within the EU needs to take into account the attitudes of various political forces in Europe, including Michel and von der Leyen, who also have a certain "difference" in their attitudes towards China. Zhao Junjie believes that compared to Europe, which pays more attention to issues such as "risk reduction" and the Ukrainian crisis, China should focus on practical cooperation during this meeting, while adhering to its own position and trying to dispel the idea of Europe containing China as much as possible.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated on the 4th that this meeting coincides with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Europe and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the China Europe Leaders Meeting mechanism, attracting widespread attention from all sectors of China and the international community. Wang Wenbin said that China and Europe are partners, not rivals. The common interests of both sides far outweigh the differences. China looks forward to the important role of this leaders' meeting in carrying forward the past and opening up the future. Enhancing understanding and mutual trust through strategic communication, strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation through exploration and innovation, exploring problem-solving ideas through dialogue and consultation, cooperating to address global challenges, injecting new impetus into the world economy, adding stability to the international situation, and providing strategic guidance for the sustained and healthy development of China Europe relations.