Ukraine war and sanctions tipped to top China-EU summit agenda

EU trade chief says tensions between China and the EU ‘need to be addressed at the highest political level’

With all eyes on Beijing over Russian invasion, trade committee of European Parliament hears the EU is ‘in a complicated phase of relations with China’

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China has refused to condemn Russia since Russian President Vladimir Putin kicked off a military operation against Ukraine last week and reportedly chose not to ‘weigh in’ after the US warned Beijing that Russia was planning a Ukraine invasion, according to a Washington official. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:58pm, 1 Mar 2022Updated: 1:14pm, 9 Mar 2022

The European Union will hold a summit with China next month to discuss sanctions they have imposed on each other and address the crisis in Ukraine, showing both are keen to open lines of communication despite growing tensions.

With observers watching China closely over its stand on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European Commission vice-president and EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis confirmed the summit would take place on April 1. It is expected to occur online.

Diplomatic sources and observers said the two were expected to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war and the sanctions China and the EU imposed on each other last year.

China has refused to condemn Russia since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the military operation against Ukraine last week despite Washington, Brussels and others sanctioning Moscow.

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Ukraine war and sanctions tipped to top China-EU summit agenda

EU trade chief says tensions between China and the EU ‘need to be addressed at the highest political level’ With all eyes on Beijing over Russian invasion, trade committee of European Parliament hears the EU is ‘in a complicated phase of relations with China’

EU trade chief says tensions between China and the EU ‘need to be addressed at the highest political level’

With all eyes on Beijing over Russian invasion, trade committee of European Parliament hears the EU is ‘in a complicated phase of relations with China’