By Liz Lee, Laurie Chen and Xiuhao Chen BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese President Xi Jinping urged top European Union officials on Thursday to "properly handle differences and frictions" as he criticised Brussels's recent trade actions against Beijing at a tense summit dominated by concerns on trade and the Ukraine war.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warned on Thursday that China's ties with Russia were now the "determining" factor in its relations with the European Union, as she wrapped up a tense summit in Beijing that also saw China agree to speed up exports of rare earth minerals to the bloc.

European leaders have called for a more balanced relationship with China during a summit with President Xi Jinping in Beijing

European leaders demanded a more balanced relationship with China at a summit with President Xi Jinping in the Chinese capital on Thursday as the bloc runs a massive trade deficit with China of around €300 billion.

EU bosses Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa are in Beijing on Thursday for talks with top Chinese leaders over areas of friction from trade to the Ukraine war -- with low hopes of a breakthrough on any front.