Chinese President Xi Jinping is seeking to balance support for Russia with economic ties to Europe, where a trilateral summit could spark backlash.

An ongoing armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine that was sparked with Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale invasion in February 2022, resulting in widespread casualties, displacement and significant geopolitical consequences for Europe and the world.

Political, economic and trade relations between the European Union and China, including trade-defence measures, vehicle and industrial-goods trade, supplies of critical raw materials such as rare earths, investment screening and diplomatic dialogue.