China Faces Global Headwinds: EU Summit Falls Flat, BRICS Slowing

Chinese Premier Li Qiang (center), speaks during opening remarks meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the China–EU summit at Great Hall of People in Beijing on July 24, 2025. Mahesh Kumar A./Pool/Getty Images

Commentary

As Beijing’s global ambitions falter, low expectations for the EU–China meeting and Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s absence from the BRICS summit highlight growing doubts about the ability of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to lead a new world order.