The European Union’s trade deficit with China has doubled over the past decade, fuelling growing frustration in Brussels over what officials describe as a flood of low-cost Chinese products into the EU.

Beijing’s continued support for Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine is also a major sticking point. The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas called China the “key enabler” of Putin’s war and urged Beijing to halt its support to Russia’s military-industrial base. In response, China has indicated that it does not want to see Russia lose the war.

It was not surprising then that a summit in Beijing between top EU and Chinese leaders at the end of July produced few tangible results.

Just ahead of the summit, I spoke with Finbarr Bermingham, Europe Correspondent for the South China Morning Post, to explore what’s really driving the tensions in EU–China trade. We discussed the growing trade imbalance and how China’s rare earth export controls and unwavering support for Russia are reshaping the relationship.
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Date of Recording: Friday July 18th, 2025
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