Chinese and European Union leaders will meet in Beijing on Thursday for a summit marking 50 years of diplomatic ties. Here is a timeline of EU-China trade tensions in recent years.

The meeting of top Chinese and EU officials will be overshadowed by old grievances, even as Beijing tries to hit reset.

The market had been rattled after the EU signalled it may pursue countermeasures against US tariffs, dampening expectations for a breakthrough in negotiations ahead of the August 1 deadline.

The EU-China summit set for Thursday is drawing limited expectations as geopolitical and economic tensions mount between Brussels, Beijing, and Washington. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and

World Trade Organization arbitrators on Monday reversed part of a previous panel decision that had rejected the European Union's claims that China had violated the global watchdog's rules on intellectual property.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the EU. The relationship between the two has turned out to be quite a dynamic one. During this period, the EU expanded from a bloc with 9 member states to the current 27.

Without greater political cohesion and coordination by member states, the EU’s measured response to China’s overcapacity will be difficult to execute.

As the two biggest economic targets in Donald Trump’s trade war, some analysts thought the European Union and China could move closer together and stake out common ground.