China cancels high-level meetings with EU

China has canceled two scheduled meetings with European Union officials in Beijing, including a dialogue on digital issues and a separate meeting involving Olof Skoog, the European External Action Service deputy secretary-general, according to reporting published on June 11.

The cancellations were made at short notice, and the Financial Times reported that the Chinese side gave no reason. The move adds to a period of mounting friction between Brussels and Beijing over trade, industrial policy and regulation.

The Times later reported that China’s foreign ministry said, when asked about the cancellations, that China and the EU remained in communication about the relevant dialogue.

What Was Canceled

The meetings that were called off included a ministerial-level discussion focused on digital issues and another meeting involving Skoog, a senior EU foreign service official. Both had been scheduled to take place in Beijing this month.

The cancellations matter because they affect two of the main diplomatic channels the EU and China use to manage disagreements before they spill into broader political conflict. Digital regulation has become one of the more sensitive areas in the relationship, alongside trade and industrial policy.

The abrupt change also suggests that the two sides are entering a more difficult phase in their engagement, even if formal contacts have not stopped. The Chinese foreign ministry’s comment, as reported by The Times, indicated that communication continues, but it did not explain why the meetings were scrapped.

Trade Friction In The Background

The cancellations come against the backdrop of a wider dispute over trade. Brussels has been weighing tougher measures on Chinese exports and Chinese firms in sensitive sectors, while Beijing has pushed back against what it sees as discriminatory restrictions.

Reporting cited a sharp rise in Chinese exports to the EU, underscoring why European policymakers are paying closer attention to the relationship. The Financial Times reported that Chinese exports to the EU rose 16.4% between January and May 2026 from a year earlier.

The Times reported a 16.4% rise in Chinese exports to the EU in the first quarter of 2026 and said China’s 2025 trade surplus with the bloc reached €360 billion.

Those figures highlight the scale of the economic imbalance sitting behind the diplomatic fallout. They also help explain why EU leaders have been under pressure to respond more forcefully to Chinese trade practices.

What Happens Next

The immediate question is whether the canceled meetings will be rescheduled and whether Beijing or Brussels will offer a fuller explanation for the abrupt change.

The timing is sensitive because the cancellations come ahead of discussions in Brussels, where EU leaders are expected to debate trade relations and competitiveness. Any new measures on China would likely sharpen the pressure on the relationship further.

For now, the reporting points to a relationship that remains formally open but increasingly contested. The channels are still there, but the cancellations suggest that the political temperature is rising at a moment when both sides are trying to defend their own trade and regulatory positions.