Europe-China summit under way

Von der Leyen stresses coordinated approach amid global power shift

Key areas of discussion include investment deal, climate and Russia-Ukraine war

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has underlined the importance of a coordinated approach by EU member states in dealing with an increasingly assertive China.

"We now have a European Green Deal as well as a European digital strategy," von der Leyen said at the EU-China summit in Brussels on Thursday.

"China's position on this is crucial for the European Union. As a member of the UN Security Council there is a big responsibility to uphold international law and the rules-based order."

Von der Leyen also stressed the need for a common EU approach to the Belt and Road Initiative, China's trillion-dollar infrastructure investment project.

"We need to work together to ensure that the Belt and Road Initiative is in line with our values and interests," she said.

The summit is the first face-to-face meeting between EU and Chinese leaders since 2019. It comes at a time of heightened tensions between the two sides, with the EU criticizing China's human rights record and its support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.