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.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged the European Union to make “the right strategic choice” and enhance cooperation with China, while EU leaders called for a rebalancing of trade ties, as the two sides tackle deep-seated grievances at a tense summit in Beijing.

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.

The summit, being hosted in China on Thursday, marks 50 years of diplomatic ties between Brussels and Beijing.

Every Friday, we recap highlights of the news from China. This week, an important summit was held in Beijing, India took another step towards normalising ties with China, and the Medog dam project saw a development.

Yet analysts say the Chinese leader is likely holding out for concrete deliverables before agreeing to the high-profile meeting. Trump dramatically escalated the trade war with the world's second-largest economy in April, rolling out sweeping new tariffs that prompted China to respond with its own export duties and other measures.