Half a century after the establishment of relations between China and the EU, and against a backdrop of deteriorating transatlantic relations, the European Union and China held their 25th summit in Beijing.

The summit, being hosted in China on Thursday, marks 50 years of diplomatic ties between Brussels and Beijing.

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.