The 25th EU-China Summit was cordial but lacked concrete solutions on trade and the war in Ukraine. The EU sees China as a partner, competitor, and rival, with the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) suspended in 2021. Challenges persist in the trade balance and Chinese overcapacity, showing divergent priorities and complexity in bilateral economic relations.
Last month, Ukraine faced a record of Russian attacks using drones and missiles, employing hundreds of kamikaze Shahed drones, multiple Russian drone and missile Shane attacks. The massive production of these drones, with support from China, poses a growing threat. Ukraine adapts its defense strategies in face of the economic disparity.
The Russian invasion has turned a fourth part of Ukraine, including critical regions such as Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhya, into mined areas, affecting six million people and food security. Autonomous demining poses a risk to farmers and agricultural recovery depends on an integrated strategy.
