Von der Leyen Says EU-China Ties Are at ‘Inflection Point’

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the bloc’s ties with his country “have reached an inflection point,” illustrating what’s at stake in their summit shadowed by tensions spanning trade to the war in Ukraine.

“As our cooperation has deepened, so have the imbalances,” von der Leyen said on Thursday, according to her prepared remarks. The head of the European Council, Antonio Costa, called on China “to use its influence on Russia to respect the United Nations Charter and to bring an end of its war of aggression against Ukraine.”