EU summit to focus on China, Ukraine and bloc budget
0 / 29
English
中文
EU leaders meeting in Brussels will examine measures to curb the bloc's huge trade deficit with China. But they will also be looking to further agreement on the next EU budget ahead of some major elections next year.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels on Thursday to begin two days of talks that will focus on some of the major economic challenges facing the bloc, including competition from China.
（暂无翻译）
The summit is sure to include some heated debate over the bloc's budget for the years 2028 to 2034, with the usual divisive negotiations between net contributors and net recipients.
（暂无翻译）
On Friday, leaders are set to discuss further support for Ukraine as it faces a full-scale Russian invasion, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy due to attend.
（暂无翻译）
The leaders are expected to discuss ways to remedy the bloc's massive trade deficit with China, which reached €360 billion ($400.4 billion) last year and is set to exceed that level this year.
（暂无翻译）
The meeting comes less than a week after the bloc's executive body, the European Commission, reached an agreement with Beijing to curb imports of hybrid cars from China.
（暂无翻译）
EU leaders called for instruments to address the bloc's trade imbalances after its trade deficit climbed to €1 billion ($1.12 billion) a day. In a joint statement, they also called on the European Commission "to urgently enhance the EU toolbox with new instruments to better address these imbalances."
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
The EU has accused China of unfair economic practices, saying its state subsidies for its industries are creating an unlevel playing field.
（暂无翻译）
Industry groups say the surge in imports from China is leading to an increasing number of factory closures in the bloc.
（暂无翻译）
Ahead of the meeting, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron called for new EU measures to counter any actions leading to market distortion.
（暂无翻译）
The leaders will, however, also be looking at soaring energy prices within the bloc as another factor weighing on its competitiveness.
（暂无翻译）
The bloc's next seven-year budget from 2028 to 2034 is also set to be another controversial issue on the agenda, ahead of a special summit set for November to try to reach agreement.
（暂无翻译）
Discussions on the budget, which requires unanimous approval, are often intense, with divisions between wealthier states and those that rely on EU cohesion funds.
（暂无翻译）
"We are in very, very difficult negotiations regarding the future finances of the European Union," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has been leading the appeals for a leaner budget, said on arrival in Brussels.
（暂无翻译）
"We must significantly reduce the common budget compared with the commission’s proposals. No member state of the European Union can afford this," said Merz.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also said the proposals currently on the table were "simply not acceptable."
（暂无翻译）
Italy's Giorgia Meloni is among the most vocal defenders of maintaining the traditional funds like cohesion payments, she told parliament on Wednesday that she saw "no contradiction between old policies and new priorities."
（暂无翻译）
The talks at the summit are not expected to bring any breakthrough, but leaders are hoping to reach a compromise by the end of the year.
（暂无翻译）
Pressure to finalize the budget is growing ahead of elections next year in several member states that could make it even more difficult to reach a deal acceptable to all.
（暂无翻译）
The EU leaders are expected to turn their attention to the situation in Ukraine on Friday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited to join the meeting.
（暂无翻译）
"All of us in Europe want this war to end," Zelenskyy wrote after arriving. "And for that to happen, strong signals are needed — more real pressure on Russia and more defense support for Ukraine."
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
He is likely to urge the bloc to up its support for Kyiv as Russia intensifies its strikes ahead of winter, killing dozens of civilians.
（暂无翻译）
European aid is taking on ever more importance as the US under President Donald Trump continues its ambivalent path with regard to the conflict, as reflected in a recent deal securing Russian diesel imports despite international sanctions.
（暂无翻译）
Trump has also called for Zelenskyy to be replaced as Ukrainian leader.
（暂无翻译）
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by: Natalie Muller and Wesley Dockery If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google, so you'll always see our verified news first.
（暂无翻译）
仅供学习使用，如有侵权请联系删除 · 查看原文