China and the European Union (EU) will hold the 25th summit in China on the 24th.
However, three days before the meeting, the EU added Chinese corporations to the sanctions list, escalating tensions between the two sides.
China's Ministry of Commerce announced on the 21st, "Following agreements between China and the EU, António Costa, the chair of the summit, and Ursula von der Leyen, the executive chair, will visit China on the 24th."
The ministry added that President Xi Jinping would meet with them, and Premier Li Qiang is expected to co-chair the meeting.
Initially, there were high hopes that this summit would serve as an opportunity to improve relations as both sides mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations. However, expectations for the summit have significantly diminished as the EU imposed high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and China initiated anti-dumping investigations on European brandy.
The schedule for EU leaders' visit to China has also been reduced from two days to one.
The two sides also show a clear divergence in their views regarding the Ukraine war. Recently, it has been reported that Wang Yi, China's Minister of Foreign Affairs, made remarks indicating that "if Russia loses the war, the next target of the United States will be China," sparking controversy.
Due to this chilly atmosphere, forecasts suggest that it will be difficult to adopt a joint statement at the summit. Experts predict that even if a statement is issued, it is likely to remain at a general level limited to specific areas such as climate change.