Focus: China and the EU - an evolving dialogue

At their recent summit, leaders from Brussels and Beijing called for China and the European Union to "strengthen mutual political confidence and deepen strategic cooperation."

In fact, these two powerful players on the world stage have been working on subtle and not-so subtle differences of opinion for more than a decade, with issues like economic and financial reforms, global warming, and human rights taking center stage.

Now, top Chinese and EU officials are meeting for their 13th summit in Brussels. Writ large will be the debate over China's support for its currency, the yuan. But a host of other topics - global governance, climate change, energy, and regional issues such as recent developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan - are also on the table.

In this focus, Deutsche Welle takes a look back at the relationship between two political entities in flux: China and the European Union.