A delegation from the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), led by Chair David McAllister, will visit Beijing and Shanghai from 21 to 23 July 2026 for high-level meetings with Chinese authorities, the European External Action Service (EEAS) announced on 20 July. The eight-member delegation will address geopolitical tensions, economic imbalances, Russia's war in Ukraine, human rights in China, and Indo-Pacific stability, as well as shared interests such as multilateralism, public health, and climate diplomacy.
The delegation will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the National People's Congress (NPC) leadership and its foreign affairs committee, and the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC). In Beijing, MEPs will also hold talks with EU diplomatic missions and scholars at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. In Shanghai, they will engage with municipal authorities and local tech companies on tech sovereignty, competition, and global AI governance.
The visit follows a series of recent EU-China parliamentary exchanges. In late March 2026, Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee visited China. A delegation of MEPs also travelled to China in May for the 43rd EU-China Inter-Parliamentary Meeting, and the International Trade Committee is expected to visit later in 2026.
David McAllister (EPP, Germany), AFET Chair; Engin Eroglu (Renew Europe, Germany), Chair of the Delegation for Relations with China; Nicolás Pascual de la Parte (EPP, Spain); Javi López (S&D, Spain); Lucia Annunziata (S&D, Italy); Jaroslav Bžoch (PfE, Czechia); Adam Bielan (ECR, Poland); and Hilde Vautmans (Renew Europe, Belgium), AFET Standing Rapporteur on China.