Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged the European Union to make “the right strategic choice” and enhance cooperation with China, while EU leaders called for a rebalancing of trade ties, as the two sides tackle deep-seated grievances at a tense summit in Beijing.

A joint statement promised new efforts to cut emissions at a time when China is positioning itself as the world’s one-stop shop for clean energy technologies.

China is a "critical partner" to Europe with a range of shared interests, state news agency Xinhua said in a commentary piece, downplaying Beijing's rivalry with the European Union bloc hours before a key summit between leaders of both sides on Thursday.

E.U. leaders are in Beijing to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations with China, but they have major disagreements over trade and Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Beijing is betting that economic pressure and diplomatic defiance will force concessions, but its stance could put more strain on its ties with Europe at a crucial time.

That's the approximate size of the European Union's trade deficit with Beijing, which has doubled over the past decade and become a larger issue for the bloc's officials. "We need to see progress on this issue,

European leaders are meeting with top Chinese officials in Beijing to discuss trade, climate change and global conflicts.

At the summit's conclusion, von der Leyen reiterated that the way in which China "continues to interact with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's war will be a determining factor [in their EU] relations going forward," showing that the EU and China both walked away from the table with disagreements — ones they put aside to fight climate change.