China confirmed on Monday it will host a high-level summit with the EU in Beijing this week, marking 50 years of diplomatic ties amid growing global trade tensions. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, with Premier Li Qiang co-chairing the 25th China-EU summit. The talks aim to ease trade frictions and strengthen economic and political ties as Beijing looks to hedge against uncertainty in its U.S. relations. EU-China ties have been strained since 2021, when the EU sanctioned Chinese officials over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, prompting retaliatory sanctions from Beijing. Tensions have also been fueled by trade disputes over Chinese electric vehicles, European brandy and pork, public procurement of medical devices, and rare earth exports. The summit offers both sides a chance to recalibrate relations amid shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics.