China-EU summit on investment deal, Covid-19 likely to start next month, sources say

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and other senior officials to discuss key issues via series of online meetings, according to insiders

Brussels and Beijing have expressed their desire to conclude a comprehensive investment agreement by year’s end but clashes over coronavirus may hamper negotiations

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EC President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to lead the European side in its upcoming summit with China. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:00pm, 13 May 2020Updated: 10:51pm, 13 May 2020

China and the European Union are likely to hold their delayed summit early next month via a series of online meetings, sources familiar with the issue said, as Beijing seeks to stabilise its turbulent relationship with Brussels amid ongoing tensions with the United States.

The summit will be Beijing’s first major diplomatic event since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and looks set to come hot on the heels of its annual legislative session, which gets under way on May 22 after a two-month delay.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel could hold a videoconference with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as early as the first week of June, according to the sources, who declined to be identified.

Leaders and senior officials from the two sides have been in frequent contact in recent months, sharing knowledge about the coronavirus and cooperating on the development of vaccines, as well as accelerating their negotiations of a comprehensive agreement on investment, which began in 2013.

EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan says talks on an investment deal with China are progressing well. Photo: Reuters

During a telephone conversation on Monday, EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan told Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan that Brussels was satisfied with the progress of the talks and was willing to work towards concluding the deal within the year, according to a statement from the commerce ministry in Beijing.

In the same call, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton told Zhong that the EU was keen to maintain close contact with China to protect international supply chains and promote economic recovery.

Despite the upbeat tone of their latest talks, the EU has in the past appealed to China to show more ambition in the investment talks, with some of its officials suggesting that the substance of the deal is more important than hitting deadlines.