China has cancelled two important diplomatic meetings with the European Union, one after the other, in a short span - a move that in the language of diplomacy rarely means anything good. Cancelled were a ministerial dialogue on digital issues and a meeting at which the deputy secretary-general of the European diplomatic service was due to take part.

In diplomacy, abrupt last-minute cancellations like this carry a perfectly clear message: dissatisfaction with the terms, the agenda or the pressure. Beijing clearly doesn't want to talk under rules set by Brussels - especially when it comes to Chinese technology, data security and 5G networks.

The context is no accident. Brussels is talking ever more often about protecting European industry from Chinese products, about the risks of dependence in supply chains and about digital infrastructure. China reads this as a political attempt to curb its economic influence - and responds the way it knows how, with silence instead of a statement.

The European Commission reacted diplomatically: "Cooperation and dialogue between the EU and China take place on multiple levels," it said. Translated into plain language - we don't want to admit that something is grating. And it is grating, loudly so for those who are listening. When the world's second economy shuts the door on you without explanation, that's not a technical postponement, but a message sent on purpose.