BRUSSELS, Jan 14 (KUNA) -- European Council President Antonio Costa announced on Tuesday that the European Union and China are preparing for a joint summit this year to mark the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations.
Costa said after a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping that the summit will be held in the Belgian capital, Brussels, though no specific date was given.
In a statement, Costa considered that cooperation between the EU and China in addressing global challenges would send a "positive signal for peace, stability, and prosperity," adding that the EU and China are important trading partners, but their relations need to be "balanced and based on a level playing field." According to the same statement, the European Council President emphasized during the phone call the "necessity of ensuring fair competitive conditions and correcting existing economic and trade imbalances." The EU and China regularly hold summits, except for last year when no summit was held.
This year's summit holds particular significance as it comes in the context of Donald Trump's return to the White House, with his trade policy for the next phase still unclear.
The phone conversation took place at a time when the European Commission on Tuesday accused China of restricting access to European medical equipment in its public markets.
The EU had also imposed tariffs on electric car imports from China, which angered Beijing, leading it to impose restrictions on some European products. (end) arn.mb