The European Union and China are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa are in Beijing Thursday for the occasion and will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and other top leaders, reports the Deutsche Welle.
China and the EU are each other's second most important trading partners, but both sides quarrel over market access, industrial policies and Russia's war in Ukraine, among other issues.
Brussels has pitched Thursday's talks as "a clear opportunity for detailed, frank, substantive actions around all aspects of our relationship."
Beijing said this week ties with the bloc were at a "pivotal juncture" as both China and the EU contend with an aggressive US trade strategy under President Donald Trump.
