China, EU Hold Summit in Beijing

China, EU Hold Summit in Beijing
Above: Chinese and European leaders sit together in Beijing on July 24, 2025. Image copyright: ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES/POOL/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-China narrative

In an uncertain world, cooperation trumps division. Five decades of partnership demonstrate that mutual respect and dialogue create prosperity while estrangement hurts both sides, and recent tension shouldn't derail this success. Different systems needn't mean rivalry — as long as certain boundaries are respected, China and the EU hold the potential to maintain healthy relations.

Pro-Europe narrative

EU-China relations highlight Europe's principled stance amid global chaos. Despite Beijing weaponizing rare earth minerals and failing to condemn Putin's war machine, Europe maintains a positive approach to multilateralism. Yet China's trade surplus and regulatory barriers prove the relationship needs rebalancing, and only time will tell whether Beijing's actions match its words.

Metaculus Prediction



The Controversies