Addis Ababa, March 16, 2025 (POA)—Chinese President Xi Jinping has declined an invitation to visit Brussels for a summit to mark the 50th anniversary of European Union (EU)-China diplomatic ties, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

The Financial Times reported, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the situation, that Beijing informed EU officials Premier Li Qiang will meet with the presidents of the European Council and Commission instead of President Xi Jinping.

The Chinese premier typically participates in the summit when it takes place in Brussels, whereas the president oversees it in Beijing. However, the European Union desires for Xi to be present in order to mark fifty years of ties between Beijing and the union, according to the report.

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Strains between Brussels and Beijing have intensified following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, as per the FT report, which stated that the EU accused China of supporting the Kremlin.

Last year, the European Union additionally levied tariffs on imported Chinese electric vehicles.

“Ongoing informal talks include arranging the date for this year’s EU-China summit along with details regarding attendance levels,” stated an EU official to the newspaper. Meanwhile, according to reports, the Chinese ministry mentioned they had no relevant information to share on the topic.

China, the globe’s second-largest economy, and the European Union, ranking as the third biggest, engaged in frequent disputes throughout 2024 regarding accusations of excess production capacity, improper government support, and selling goods below cost in one another’s markets.

In October, following an anti-subsidy probe, the European Union introduced two-figure tariffs on Chinese electric cars, on top of their usual 10% tax for regular vehicle imports. This decision sparked strong objections from Beijing, prompting them to increase trade hurdles for specific goods coming from the EU, including items like brandy.