During a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Ursula von der Leyen highlighted that China currently holds the "largest trade surplus in human history," with vast amounts of goods flowing into Europe, while also increasing the difficulties European companies face doing business in China. She emphasized that for the partnership to progress, a real rebalance is necessary to reduce market distortions, decrease China’s excess production capacity, and provide fair access for European companies. In 2024, China’s trade surplus with the EU is projected to reach $357 billion.

Brussels is concerned that the overproduction caused by the Chinese government’s large-scale subsidies may exacerbate trade imbalances, leading to an influx of cheap Chinese goods into European markets, impacting local businesses. Von der Leyen stated, "China cannot rely on exports to solve domestic economic challenges; the issue of overcapacity must be addressed at its source and not simply shifted to the global market."

In recent months, tensions in EU-China relations have increased, especially after the Chinese government announced restrictions on the import of EU medical devices. Additionally, China has imposed anti-dumping duties on EU brandy, and trade disputes over electric vehicles and solar panels remain unresolved. The upcoming leaders' summit in Beijing, set to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, is overshadowed by trade frictions and significant disagreements over the Ukraine war. Reports suggest that China intends to compress the originally planned two-day summit into one.

In her speech, Von der Leyen stressed the need to seek the relaxation of Chinese export controls on rare earth materials. According to data from the International Energy Agency, China currently accounts for two-thirds of global rare earth mining, with 92% of refined rare earth products coming from China.

Besides economic frictions, China's subtle role in the Ukraine war is also exacerbating tensions between the EU and China. Von der Leyen pointed out that China's "continued support" for Russia is making Europe less stable and secure: "China is effectively helping the Russian war economy, and we cannot accept that. How China continues to engage with Putin will be a decisive factor in future EU-China relations." She believes that if China genuinely supports the rules-based international order as it claims, it should clearly condemn Russia's blatant violations of another country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, she also emphasized that the EU should continue to strengthen cooperation with China, stating that decoupling from China would be inefficient and ineffective.