Chinese President Xi Jinping met Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker in Beijing on Friday, 6 November 2026, during Stocker's official visit to China. The meeting took place at the Great Hall of the People, and was also attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The visit marked the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Austria. Xi told Stocker that a growing and developing China is not the source of Europe's problems, but a partner that can help Europe address its challenges. He said China and Europe should focus on areas of cooperation, resolve economic and trade frictions through dialogue and consultation, and achieve win-win results and common development.

Trade and cooperation on the agenda

Chinese Premier Li Qiang also held talks with Stocker during the visit. Li and Stocker witnessed the signing of agreements covering economic, trade and social security cooperation, according to Xinhua, which reported the meeting on 6 November. Stocker reaffirmed Austria's commitment to the one-China policy and said Austria-China relations enjoy sound development.

Stocker is the first EU leader to visit China since October's trade agreement between Beijing and Brussels, and his trip comes as European governments weigh how to balance trade, investment and technological cooperation with China against concerns about market access and security. The Chinese side presented the visit as a chance to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the two countries and to present Beijing as a partner for Europe rather than a source of its difficulties.

A visit with a wider European context

The meeting took place against a busy diplomatic calendar for Europe. EU finance ministers were meeting in Brussels on 9 November, and European leaders are preparing for a series of summits in the coming weeks, including an EU-UK summit on 20 November. China has been pressing European governments to settle trade differences through negotiation, while the EU has been working to reduce its dependencies in sensitive sectors.

For Austria, the visit was also a chance to promote its own exporters. A Chancellor-led Austrian business delegation travelled with Stocker to seek stronger trade links with China, building on a bilateral relationship that both sides described as stable. The two governments did not publish a detailed list of the agreements signed, beyond the areas of economic, trade and social security cooperation covered in the ceremony witnessed by Li and Stocker. China's embassy confirmed the meeting and the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations in its account of the visit.