China cancels EU meetings amid trade tensions

China canceled two planned meetings with EU officials in Beijing this month, adding fresh friction to an already strained relationship just ahead of a Brussels leaders’ summit where trade with China is expected to be a central issue.

The cancellations included a ministerial-level dialogue on digital issues and a meeting involving Olof Skoog, the EU’s deputy secretary-general for external affairs, according to reporting by the Financial Times and The Times.

Beijing did not give a reason for scrapping the talks. In comments reported by The Times, China’s foreign ministry said only that China and the EU remain in communication regarding the relevant dialogue.

The timing matters. EU leaders are due to gather in Brussels next week to discuss China’s trade surplus, industrial overcapacity and the pressure from rising Chinese exports on European industry. The European Commission is seeking ways to curb the impact of those imports and protect EU jobs.

Trade Tensions Build

The cancellations land against a backdrop of growing concern in Europe about the scale and effect of Chinese exports. The reporting cited by the outlets said Chinese exports to the EU rose 16.4% in the first quarter of 2026 from a year earlier.

It also said the EU’s trade surplus with China reached about €360 billion in 2025, a figure likely to reinforce calls in Brussels for a harder line.

China has pushed back against that pressure. Mao Ning, the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, recently urged the EU to resist protectionist measures and said China has not deliberately pursued a trade surplus.

What It Means For Brussels

The episode highlights a broader shift in the EU’s China debate. Brussels has been weighing tougher trade-defense tools against Chinese imports and firms in sensitive sectors, especially as officials focus on the impact of overcapacity on European manufacturing.

Germany, long seen as more cautious about confronting Beijing, is described in the reporting as moving closer to the European Commission’s tougher position. That matters because EU policy on China often depends on whether major member states can settle on a common line.

The immediate question is whether the canceled meetings will be rescheduled or whether Beijing is using the break in talks to signal dissatisfaction with the EU’s direction on trade policy.

For now, the only confirmed public position from China is that the channels remain open. The only confirmed event on the European side is that the meetings were canceled at short notice.

What To Watch Next

The Brussels summit will be the next test of whether the EU can translate its concerns about Chinese exports and industrial pressure into concrete trade-defense measures.

Officials will also be watching for any further statements from the European Commission, the EU foreign service or China’s foreign ministry on whether the dialogue resumes, and on whether the cancellations were a temporary disruption or a deliberate diplomatic signal.