WHAT DID (AND DIDN’T) HAPPEN AT THE EU-CHINA SUMMIT - Join the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and Global China Hub for an expert discussion outlining the outcomes of the EU-China Summit.

After a tumultuous buildup underscored by Chinese President Xi Jinping initially refusing to attend and an announcement shortening the two-day affair to a single day, the European Union (EU) and China met in Beijing on July 24 to discuss the future of their bilateral relations. With both sides harboring starkly different interests—such as the EU’s hopes of curbing unfair trade practices and China’s goal of loosening EU restrictions on Chinese goods—many were skeptical about what the meeting can tangibly achieve. Even so, as relations with the United States continue to devolve for both, the EU and China might need each other more than ever.

Against this backdrop, the Atlantic Council will host a discussion considering the achievements—or lack thereof—of the summit, as well as where EU-China relations go from here.

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 07/30/2025