Xi's visit to put Sino-EU ties on track

President Xi Jinping's visit to Italy, Monaco and France from March 21 to 26 comes at an important juncture for European Union-China relations.

Last week the European Commission issued a paper describing China as a "systematic rival" and called for more "reciprocity" in relations with Beijing. This new strategy was largely endorsed by the European Council on March 22 in preparation for the annual EU-China Summit on April 9 when Premier Li Keqiang visits Brussels.

Why the change in the EU's approach? The European Commission has been under pressure from member states and business organizations to take a tougher line on China. Many EU leaders were also swayed by a recent report from the confederation of German industries stating that EU companies still faced serious problems accessing the Chinese market and that Chinese State-owned enterprises benefited from unfair subsidies.