Top EU diplomat Kallas expected to visit Beijing in autumn amid deepest strains in years

High Representative Kaja Kallas of the European Union is poised to embark on her maiden visit to China in the autumn, following a particularly contentious encounter in Brussels last summer. This trip would be Kallas’ inaugural solo visit to Beijing since assuming her position in 2024. The upcoming dialogue, though not yet fixed in a specific date, will center around the annual strategic dialogue between the two nations, a platform for discussing crucial foreign and security policy matters.

The talks will likely touch upon sensitive issues such as China's ties with Russia, the ongoing crises in the Middle East, and the volatile situation in the Taiwan Strait. During the previous meeting, Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister, made headlines by expressing Beijing's reluctance for Russia to lose the war in Ukraine, fearing that the United States would then focus its attention on Asia.

The atmosphere was tense from the outset, marked by protocol breaches and a combative start from Kallas, who pressed Wang on Beijing's support for Russia. This discord escalated when Wang felt compelled to make a toast while Europeans refrained from doing so, as reported at the time.

Since then, Kallas has remained steadfast in her critical stance towards Beijing. In June, she asserted that the EU had confirmed reports of China training Russian military personnel for Ukraine, a claim Beijing vehemently denied. The EU has traditionally advocated for Xi Jinping to lead the summit, but Beijing has indicated a preference for a President-level engagement.

China has also invited Kallas to meet in Beijing during the autumn, an invitation that was declined due to scheduling conflicts, including Wang's participation in a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Kyrgyzstan.

The increased dialogue between the EU and China is taking place against a backdrop of mounting tension, with the European Commission setting a deadline in October for significant progress in recalibrating ties. The EU has vowed to adopt a more assertive trade policy against Beijing, should progress not be achieved. This month, the European External Action Service (EEAS) published a critical paper accusing China, alongside Russia, of attempting to reshape the global order in their favor and promoting a return to a sphere-of-influence mindset.

China categorically denied these accusations, claiming a neutral stance in the Ukraine war and emphasizing that Ukraine's war efforts would falter without Chinese support.

Recent interactions between European officials and China have been fraught with accusations and counteraccusations over dual-use goods that allegedly fuel Russia's military. This has intensified the delicate balancing act Europe must undertake, wary of Beijing potentially curtailing supplies vital to Ukraine, such as drone components.

The strain on relations reached a boiling point last July, with the first of two exchanges between Kallas and Wang taking place during the 2025 Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Malaysia. Despite the adversarial tone of their discussions, including a heated debate on trade, they have maintained occasional contact.