Expectations are rock-bottom for an EU-China summit on Thursday that will test European resolve and unity as the bloc faces intense trade pressure from both Beijing and the United States, analysts say.

That's the approximate size of the European Union's trade deficit with Beijing, which has doubled over the past decade and become a larger issue for the bloc's officials. "We need to see progress on this issue,

Respecting the customs, beliefs and identities of others is not merely a gesture of goodwill; it is a prerequisite for peaceful coexistence in an interdependent world. The encouragement of cultural dialogue between societies grounded in mutual respect and equality is a moral and strategic necessity.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met face-to-face, a step toward a potential leaders’ summit.