A senior EU official in Beijing said the Chinese suspended Monday's summit because they were angered by the president's public announcement that he would meet the exiled Tibetan leader next month when the two attend parallel meetings in Poland.
The decision to cancel the meeting, which would have discussed the financial crisis, reflects the considerable lengths Beijing is willing to go to in its effort to diplomatically isolate the Dalai Lama, a former winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
The EU said it regretted China's decision to call off the summit, due to take place in the French city of Lyon. Chinese premier Wen Jiabao had been due to attend the meeting.