Von der Leyen accuses China of unfair trade practices ahead of EU-China summit

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has accused China of distorting global trade and restricting market access for European companies, just two weeks before a high-stakes summit between the two economic powers.

Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on July 8, von der Leyen emphasised the need for a more balanced partnership between the European Union and China, Caliber.Az reports, citing Bloomberg.

“If our partnership is to move forward, we need a genuine rebalancing: fewer market distortions, less overcapacity exported from China, and fair, reciprocal access for European businesses in China,” she said.

Her remarks come amid growing trade tensions between Brussels and Beijing. China’s recent export controls on rare earth magnets have hit EU industries hard and exacerbated an already strained trading relationship. Hopes for improved ties earlier this year—partly driven by US President Donald Trump’s tariff moves—have now faded.

In response to concerns over unfair competition, the EU recently imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, citing alleged government subsidies. Earlier in 2025, the bloc also excluded Chinese firms from public procurement contracts for medical devices, prompting retaliatory measures from Beijing.

“China invested early in many of the technologies of the future,” von der Leyen said. “But then it started flooding global markets with cheap, subsidized goods, to wipe out competitors.”

“Entire Western industries closed — from solar panels to mineral processing — leaving China to dominate,” she added.

Tensions have continued to escalate in the absence of meaningful progress on long-standing trade and economic issues. The Chinese government recently cancelled part of the planned two-day summit with EU officials, which was scheduled for the second half of July.

Von der Leyen also criticized China’s domestic procurement policies, claiming they give local firms an unfair edge.

“Goods and services that are ‘made in China’ get an automatic 20% price advantage in public bids,” she said. “This is simply not fair. The system is explicitly rigged.”

By Sabina Mammadli