EU–China Trade Frictions Spill Into Open Confrontation at Beijing Conference

Clashes over subsidies, market access, and industrial policy underscore deepening economic and strategic divide.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang (R) and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (L) attend the EU-China Business Leaders Symposium at the the Great Hall of the People of Beijing on July 24, 2025. (Photo by Andres MARTINEZ CASARES / POOL / AFP) Photo by ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

A high-level Conference on EU–China Relations in Beijing on May 12 descended into unusually sharp exchanges, underscoring mounting tensions over trade imbalances, market access, and industrial policy.

The second Conference on EU–China Relations brought together officials, diplomats, and economists for discussions that quickly turned combative. According to Hong Kong’s pro-China newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP), disagreements over Europe’s trade deficit with China and accusations of protectionism dominated the meeting.