EU Leaders To Arrive In Beijing Ahead Of Xi Summit

(MNI) London - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel arrive in Beijinjg today ahead of the first in-person China-EU summit since 2019. The two institutional leaders will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on 7 Dec, with a number of high-profile and contentious issues likely to come up. These include; stopping China allowing Russia to purchase EU-made dual-use goods, the size of the EU's trade deficit with China, the EU probe into Chinese electric vehicle subsidies, and the allegationsfrom Finland that the "everything indicates" that the damage caused to a pipeline and telecoms link in the Baltic potentially by a Hong Kong-flagged ship was intentional.

• However, the EU leaders have been keen to stress that the summit is not seen as an opportunity to berate the Chinese leadership. VdL stated that "This rivalry can be constructive, not hostile. In these turbulent times, there is [a] strong need for strategic stability in how we deal with China. We must get China right." Adding that the EU maintained its preference for 'de-risking' rather than 'decoupling' from China.
• Reuters reports that with few concrete deliverables expected from the summit, a joint statement from both sides is not expected at the meeting's conclusion.
• Timings- 1100 local time (2200ET, 0400CET, 1200JST) VdL & Michel meet w/Xi; 1500 local time (0000ET, 0600CET, 1400JST) working session w/Premier Li Qiang; 2000 local time (0700ET, 1200GMT, 1300CET) Presser w/VdL & Michel.