And the issue of human rights, so often a key part of talks between the EU and China, is strangely absent this time around.
On Thursday, the EU trade chief agreed to drop a probe into under-priced Telecom equipment, imported from China. Karel De Gucht says that's because Europe needs to do much more to attract Chinese investment.
There was some hushed criticism on China's rights record, with Human Rights Watch describing the conditions most Chinese people live in as "appalling". But investor and financial commentator Jim Rogers says Europe knows it has to be nice.