China, EU to talk trade amid tensions over Ukraine, Xinjiang

China and the European Union will hold high-level talks on the economy and trade amid tensions over the war in Ukraine, the treatment of ethnic minority Muslims in Xinjiang and an unratified investment deal.

Valdis Dombrovskis, executive vice president of the EU Commission, and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He will co-chair the virtual meeting involving economic officials from each side on Tuesday afternoon, Beijing time.

“I look forward to co-chairing this important event together with China Vice-Premier Liu He,” Dombrovskis said on his Twitter account on Monday.

The dialogue comes after months of failed efforts to set a date for talks after the tense EU-China summit in April, during which the sides failed to agree on a joint statement amid divisions over the war in Ukraine and human rights concerns.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell described the April summit as a “dialogue of the deaf” after European officials failed to secure reassurances that Beijing would not offer practical support to Russia as it wages war in Ukraine.

China has criticised Western sanctions against Moscow and promised to push for peace in “its own way”.

In May, the European Parliament voted to “freeze” a sweeping investment deal with China that was seven years in the making after Beijing slapped sanctions on European lawmakers in retaliation for the sanctioning of Chinese officials accused of oppressing the Uighur population in Xinjiang province.