The European Union and China are to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations in Beijing, as many contentious issues dampen the festive mood. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa are to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang on Thursday to discuss trade,

European metals traders are engaged in an increasingly frantic scramble to secure rare-earth metal supplies after it became all but impossible to directly source them from China.

Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, the heads of the European Commission and the European Council respectively, will be in Beijing for a summit to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union.

A quiet shift is unfolding across Europe. Countries that once hesitated to get too close to China are now opening their doors to Chinese factories, investments, and electric vehicles. Behind this change is a powerful force—U.

Russia’s gas output declined in the first half of the year as higher exports to China and increased domestic demand failed to make up for lost flows to Europe via Ukraine.

Beijing and Brussels are marking 50 years of diplomatic relations but one third party is putting a damper on the festivities.

The European Union and China are preparing to agree a joint declaration on tackling climate change at a summit in Beijing on Thursday, EU diplomats told Reuters.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that there needed to be a “genuine rebalancing” in the China-Europe relationship.

China and the EU have achieved mutual success with practical cooperation, delivering benefits to people on both sides. With deeper high-level opening-up, China places greater emphasis on meeting the growing needs of its people for a better life,