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.

Half a century after the establishment of relations between China and the EU, and against a backdrop of deteriorating transatlantic relations, the European Union and China held their 25th summit in Beijing.

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.