Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged the European Union to make “the right strategic choice” and enhance cooperation with China, while EU leaders called for a rebalancing of trade ties, as the two sides tackle deep-seated grievances at a tense summit in Beijing.

Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, the heads of the European Commission and the European Council respectively, will be in Beijing for a summit to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union.

A joint statement promised new efforts to cut emissions at a time when China is positioning itself as the world’s one-stop shop for clean energy technologies.

China is a "critical partner" to Europe with a range of shared interests, state news agency Xinhua said in a commentary piece, downplaying Beijing's rivalry with the European Union bloc hours before a key summit between leaders of both sides on Thursday.

Half a century after the establishment of relations between China and the EU, and against a backdrop of deteriorating transatlantic relations, the European Union and China held their 25th summit in Beijing.

E.U. leaders are in Beijing to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations with China, but they have major disagreements over trade and Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Could the two other major trading powers, China and the European Union, collaborate to intensify their bilateral trade links so as to compensate for America’s isolationism? A summit on July 24th in Beijing will show that the answer is emphatically “no”.

European leaders are meeting with top Chinese officials in Beijing to discuss trade, climate change and global conflicts.

Deckers Outdoor topped estimates for first-quarter results on Thursday, fueled by robust demand in international markets such as Europe and China for its Hoka and UGG brands, sending shares of the footwear maker up about 9% in extended trading.