Chinese President Xi Jinping has declined an invitation to visit Brussels for a summit marking 50 years of EU-China diplomatic relations, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

Instead, Beijing informed EU officials that Premier Li Qiang would represent China in meetings with the presidents of the European Council and Commission, the report stated, citing two anonymous sources.

Traditionally, the Chinese premier attends the summit when hosted in Brussels, while the president hosts it in Beijing. However, the EU had hoped Xi would personally attend to underscore the significance of five decades of relations, the newspaper noted.

Tensions between Brussels and Beijing have escalated since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with the EU accusing China of supporting Moscow. The European bloc also imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports last year, further straining ties, the FT reported.

Neither China’s Foreign Ministry nor EU representatives immediately responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.

“Informal discussions are ongoing regarding the timing of this year’s EU-China summit and the level of representation,” an EU official told the newspaper. Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry stated that it had no information to share on the matter.

Throughout 2024, China—the world’s second-largest economy—and the EU, its third-largest, have engaged in trade disputes over accusations of overproduction, unfair subsidies, and market dumping.

In October, the EU imposed steep tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles following an anti-subsidy probe, adding to the existing 10% car import duty. Beijing strongly objected to the move, responding by tightening market access for certain EU exports, including brandy.