News analysis

Beijing's view on EU-China summit: Trade-offs needed if China wants its EU relationship to work

If US ties deteriorate past point of no return, Beijing's hopes lie in Europe, says expert

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BEIJING • European Union leaders struck a hawkish tone at the end of Monday's China-EU leaders' summit, but Beijing appeared to put a more positive spin on the meeting, with readouts praising the agreements made by leaders and reams of editorials about the strength of ties with Brussels.

As China's relationship with the United States continues to deteriorate, there is a concerted effort to work on ties with the EU, which is Beijing's largest trading partner.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 16, 2020, with the headline Beijing's view on EU-China summit: Trade-offs needed if China wants its EU relationship to work. Subscribe