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EU-CHINA-SUMMIT-CANCELLED
September’s EU-China summit cancelled due to virus
BERLIN, June 4, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – The European Union and China have decided
to cancel a planned summit in Germany in September because of the coronavirus
pandemic, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said Wednesday.
In phone calls between Merkel, European Council president Charles Michel
and China’s President Xi Jinping, the leaders agreed “that the meeting could
not take place at the scheduled time in view of the overall pandemic
situation, but that it should be postponed,” said spokesman Steffen Seibert.
The summit was scheduled to take place in Leipzig, but the coronavirus
pandemic has since caused huge travel disruptions around the globe.
In his call with Merkel, Xi said China “stands ready to work with Germany
and the European Union” on a variety of issues, state news agency Xinhua
reported.
Since emerging in China last December, the virus has killed more than
382,000 people, according to a tally from official sources.
BSS/AFP/MMA/0915HRS