Leaders from China and the European Union are now meeting at a summit in Beijing to mark 50 years of historic ties. Expectations were low after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling over its format, with the duration abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing's request.

The European Union and China celebrated 50 years of bilateral diplomatic relations at a high-profile summit in Beijing on Thursday. But many contentious issues dampened the festive mood.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Beijing at a tense bilateral summit this week, making no headway on geopolitical disputes and only modest advances on trade and climate change.