"China has an influence on Russia, like the European Union has an influence on Ukraine," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she is to meet with US President Donald Trump on Sunday in Scotland. The meeting would come days ahead of August 1, when Trump said we would impose tariffs of 30% on imports from the European Union for alleged trade imbalances.

China and the European Union have issued a joint call to action on climate change during a tense summit in Beijing.

The European Union and China have agreed on a new mechanism to help solve possible issues regarding exports, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday, amid fears sparked by Chinese restrictions to rare earth exports.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang dismissed EU fears over Beijing's allegedly excessive subsidies to its industry, telling the bloc's leaders "we can't afford it" in markedly candid remarks during a tense summit.