China's crucial role in Russia's war highlights EU summit stakes

"China is still a key player in enabling Russia to wage war," said El Anouni, commenting on the Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow starting on Wednesday. Xi is the most important foreign leader who will participate in the military parade on Friday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

The EC spokesperson Paula Pinho noted China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, had a "responsibility to call out what are obvious breaches of the UN Charter," such as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Beijing simply refers to as a "crisis".

The Commission considers this in the broader context of the upcoming EU–China summit, which is to be held at the end of July in Beijing. The meeting is expected to be an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and discuss contentious issues, such as the overproduction by Chinese companies or relations with Russia.

The European Union emphasizes that it does not aim to sever ties with China but to reduce the risk associated with excessive dependence on the Middle Kingdom. At the same time, the Commission sees potential for cooperation in areas such as trade and climate.

In recent months, there have been a series of meetings between EU representatives and Chinese authorities. During his April visit to China, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez advocated for deeper trade cooperation with Beijing. He also criticized the U.S. tariffs imposed on China.

However, experts point out that further development of relations with Beijing may be hindered by both the Sino-Russian rapprochement and trade tensions. Following the U.S. decision to impose 145 percent tariffs on imports from China, there are concerns in Europe that some of these goods will enter the EU market.