Trump-Xi Summit: Europe Faces Trade Risks as US-China Deals Shift Pressure

The upcoming Trump-Xi summit in Washington on September 24 is formally a bilateral meeting, but its outcomes could significantly impact European Union trade and industry, according to foreign policy expert Carmen Mitrea. Mitrea says the summit aims to verify agreements from May, not redefine US-China relations, focusing on operationalizing a trade council and AI incident notification. For the EU, the key risk is that US-China deals boost American imports without structural Chinese reforms, shifting pressure onto European markets. While US gains like Boeing aircraft and soybean purchases are visible, they are transactional and reversible. The EU seeks broader structural changes, and its own trade talks with China are scheduled for October, with rare earth minerals a critical test.