BEIJING, July 21 — China confirmed that top leaders from the European Union will visit on Thursday for a summit, as the two major trading partners seek to smooth over a series of trade disputes.

“As agreed between China and the EU, President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit China on July 24,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said in a statement Monday.

“President Xi Jinping will meet with them. Premier of the State Council Li Qiang and the two EU leaders will jointly chair the 25th China-EU Summit,” the ministry said.

The summit will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Beijing and Brussels.

But it comes after the two sides have criticised each other for what each sees as violations of the principle of fair trade.

Von der Leyen said this month that the EU would look to rebalance economic ties with Beijing by demanding it eases market access for European companies and loosens export controls on rare earths.

Beijing’s foreign ministry responded by urging the bloc to “properly handle divergences and frictions” and “establish a more objective and rational understanding of China”. — AFP