ANKARA

China’s president on Thursday said the European Union should "make correct strategic choices," urging the bloc's top leaders to strengthen "trust and communication" amid global uncertainty, while describing the two sides as "big guys."

In opening remarks at the 25th EU-China summit in Beijing, Xi Jinping said Chinese and European leaders should meet the expectations of the people.

The Chinese leader, along with Premier Li Qiang, met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, head of the European Council.

President Xi Jinping met with President of the European Council António Costa @eucopresident and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen @vonderleyen, who are in China for the 25th China-EU Summit.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic… pic.twitter.com/mlKucGUU4N

— Mao Ning 毛宁 (@SpoxCHN_MaoNing) July 24, 2025

The Beijing meeting comes amid higher US tariffs and threats of more to come, which have rocked global economic markets as well as tensions between Washington and its allies.

Mutual respect, seeking common ground while setting aside differences, open cooperation, mutual benefits, and win-win results should be adhered to in the future development of China-EU relations, Xi said.

Stressing that both China and Europe are constructive forces that advocate multilateralism and open cooperation, he said "the more severe and complex the international situation is, the more China and Europe should strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, and deepen cooperation, to provide more stability and certainty to the world."

"Faced with the accelerated evolution of the world's century-old changes and the international situation of intertwined changes and chaos, the leaders of China and the EU should once again demonstrate their foresight and responsibility and make correct strategic choices that meet the expectations of the people and stand the test of history," he said.

Von der Leyen, for her part, reiterated that Europe believes in the "power of free trade" to drive prosperity and called for "fair" competition.

"We know that our trade relationship today needs more balance. Rebalancing is a necessity, and it is also in the interest of a stronger relationship between us," she said.

She suggested increasing market access for European companies in China and reducing export controls as "important steps" forward.

"It is in our mutual interest that our trade relations are balanced and fair to benefit current and future generations," Costa added.

Xi responded: "Both big guys in the international community, China and the EU should keep their bilateral relationship growing in the right direction, and work together to usher it into an even brighter next 50 years."

"An important understanding and insight is that the two sides should respect each other, seek commonality while reserving differences, uphold openness and cooperation, and pursue mutual benefits," he added.

The meeting is being held as the two sides commemorate 50 years of diplomatic ties, with annual trade exceeding $860 billion.

The day-long key summit is expected to be dominated by simmering issues ranging from trade disputes to the Russia-Ukraine war. Issues of trade imbalance, market access and rare earths are also on the agenda.

*Aamir Latif contributed to this story.