Eurogroup - Eurozone

07/18/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/18/2025 04:29

President Costa to travel to Japan and China for high-level Summits 12:00 The President of the European Council, António Costa, will travel to Japan and China, together with[...]

The President of the European Council, António Costa, will travel to Japan and China, together with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to represent the EU in the EU-Japan Summit on 23 July and EU-China Summit on 24 July.

EU-Japan summit - 23 July

The two Presidents will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo, for a Summit focused on further strengthening EU-Japan relations, particularly in the areas of security and defence, trade and economic resilience, as well as support for multilateralism and the rules-based international order.

Japan is our closest strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region. In today's volatile international environment, this partnership matters more than ever. This Summit is about deepening our cooperation even further, across different fronts.

António Costa, President of the European Council

Ahead of the EU-Japan Summit, President Costa will visit the Expo 2025 in Osaka, including the EU Pavilion. The Pavilion, themed "Nurturing Tomorrow", showcases European actions related to sustainability, connectivity, inclusivity, and security. During his travel to Japan, President Costa is also expected to visit Hitachi, a major Japanese group developing advanced industrial equipment and precision machinery with extensive operations in Europe, as well as the Tokyo Disaster Prevention Centre.

  • Meeting page - EU-Japan summit, 23 July 2025

EU-China summit - 24 July

President Costa and President von der Leyen will attend the EU-China Summit, taking place in Beijing on 24 July and marking the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations. They will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss EU-China relations and current geopolitical challenges, including Russia's war in Ukraine. They will also meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang, to cover in more detail the trade and economic aspects of the relationship.

This Summit is an opportunity to engage with China at the highest level and have frank, constructive discussions on issues that matter to both of us. We want dialogue, real engagement and concrete progress. We aim for a fair, balanced relationship that delivers for both sides.

António Costa, President of the European Council

  • Meeting page - EU-China summit, 24 July 2025

Media opportunities

Press statements by Prime Minister Ishiba, President Costa and President von der Leyen are expected on 23 July at 18:00 (11:00 Brussels time) to report on the outcomes of the EU-Japan Summit.

President Costa and President von der Leyen will hold a joint press conference on 24 July at 20:00 (14:00 Brussels time) to report on the outcomes of the EU-China Summit.

Both press moments will be live-streamed on EbS.

  • EBS - European Broadcasting Service

Photos and video will be available on the Council newsroom.

  • Council newsroom
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