EU-China summit postponed due to Covid-19

Chancellor Angela Merkel held separate phone talks with China’s President Xi Jinping and EU Council President Charles Michel, Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement. (File Photo: Angela Merkel/Facebook)

BERLIN – The EU and China have agreed to postpone a key summit planned for September due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, said Berlin government official on Wednesday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel held separate phone talks with China’s President Xi Jinping and EU Council President Charles Michel, Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement.

“They agreed that due to the overall pandemic situation the meeting cannot take place at the planned time and will be postponed,” said the statement.

Seibert has yet to provide any information as to when the summit will take place.

Merkel was planning to host EU leaders and Xi in Leipzig on Sept. 14 to enhance political and economic ties between the 27-member bloc and Beijing.

Germany will take over the European Union’s rotating six-month presidency next month.

The pandemic has killed more than 381,000 people worldwide, with infections reaching nearly 6.4 million.

More than 2.7 million people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University. (Anadolu)