China's support for Russia the greatest barrier to better relations with the EU

The sun was shining and the wine and beer was abundant in the garden at the European Union delegation in Beijing on Thursday for the ambassador's annual Europe Day reception. Each member state had a little stall decked with flags and offering national delicacies and the mood was upbeat. The reception coincided with the last day of Xi Jinping's first visit to Europe in five years, which took him to France, Serbia and Hungary. In his speech, ambassador Jorge Toledo welcomed the intensified dialogue between China and the EU while running through some of the areas of disagreement, including European…