Brussels and Beijing Bicker as They Mark a Not-So-Happy 50th Anniversary

Ahead of their July summit, both sides are exchanging harsh words and retaliatory measures as trade tensions rise.

- Tan Dawn Wei

In a month, European Union leaders will travel to Beijing to meet their Chinese counterparts to discuss their 50-year relationship and mark the milestone.

It ought to be a celebratory occasion, with the aim of the EU-China summits to pursue constructive and stable ties.

Yet, the contours of relations at this point seem more fractious than felicitous, while hopes for a symbolic reset have faded as deep-rooted friction and frustration bubbled to the surface in recent months.

In the initial wake of the Trump-induced upheaval to trade and the global order, it had appeared that the EU and China were making nice. China went on a diplomatic charm offensive, lifting sanctions on some EU lawmakers, stepping up engagements with various European countries, and defending the EU's place at Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

On her part, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen muted her usual tough language for Beijing as she signaled that there was "room to engage constructively with China, and find solutions in our mutual interest".

But recent hawkish rhetoric by the EU and new sanctions, as well as China's move to restrict the export of rare earth elements, have heightened tensions once more.

At the recent G-7 summit in Canada, Dr von der Leyen delivered a blistering critique of Beijing, accusing it of weaponizing its near-monopoly over rare earth elements and perpetuating a "pattern of dominance, dependency, and blackmail" in global trade.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun lambasted her comments as "baseless and biased", hinting that Beijing is prepared to push back.