Leaders from China and the European Union are meeting for a summit set to focus on Europe's debt crisis.

According to BBC, Premier Wen Jiabao is set to meet EU President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso in Beijing.

Syria and Iran may also be discussed plus the refusal by Chinese airlines to pay an EU tax.

But the top topic is expected to be the financial crisis in Europe and how China might be able to help.

"The debt issue is at a critical juncture," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said on Monday. "We believe that as China's largest trading partner and the largest economy in the world [collectively], it is important for the European Union to resolve this issue."

The two EU leaders will also meet President Hu Jintao on Wednesday, Feb 15.

They want Beijing to invest in a bailout fund to help nations crippled by debt - something China has indicated it is considering.

China's foreign exchange reserves are the largest in the world.

But Mr Liu said the EU needed to continue to make structural reforms to "give a clearer signal" to the international community.

"Heavily indebted countries should, according to their national condition, adopt appropriate fiscal policies," he said. "The international community should continue to pro-actively support the EU's efforts to deal with the crisis."