Xi Jinping and King Philippe Reaffirm China-Belgium Ties at 55

What changed

Xi Jinping and Belgian King Philippe exchanged congratulations on October 25, 2026, marking 55 years of diplomatic relations between China and Belgium.

Xi described the relationship as stable, with growing exchanges and cooperation. Philippe said Belgium wants balanced, mutually beneficial ties, more practical cooperation and continued open dialogue.

Why it matters

The exchange is a public reaffirmation of a relationship both sides want to keep broad and workable. Xi framed the next step as advancing a “comprehensive friendly cooperative partnership” and contributing to stable China-EU relations. Philippe pointed to cooperation across many areas and recalled Xi’s 2014 state visit to Belgium.

The language is warm, but the substance is deliberately modest. No new agreement, funding, trade measure or implementation timetable was announced. For now, the anniversary marks diplomatic intent rather than a new policy. The practical test will be whether the promised dialogue and cooperation produce concrete steps in China-Belgium relations.