Leaders from China and the European Union are now meeting at a summit in Beijing to mark 50 years of historic ties. Expectations were low after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling over its format, with the duration abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing's request.

Top EU leaders told their Chinese counterparts at a summit in Beijing on Thursday that Beijing must do more to level the huge trade surplus it has with Europe.

An EU-China summit in Beijing wrapped up early on Thursday amid rising tensions, despite efforts to foster cooperation on trade, climate, and global stability.