Diplomatic relations between China and Luxembourg were officially established on November 16, 1972, with the Chinese embassy being inaugurated in Luxembourg in June 1978.
High-level visits between China and Luxembourg are frequent. The main visits from Luxembourg include: Grand Duke Henri visited China in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2022. Prime Minister Bettel visited China in 2017 and attended the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in 2019. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Bettel visited China in November 2024. The main visits of Chinese leaders include: Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang visited Luxembourg in June 2024.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, high-level Chinese and Luxembourg leaders held multiple video meetings and phone calls: In March 2020 and March 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn on the phone. In September 2021, Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, held a video meeting with President of the Chamber of Deputies of Fernand Etgen.
According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, the trade volume between China and Luxembourg in 2023 was US$717 million, a year-on-year decrease of 15.5%, of which China's exports were US$450 million, a year-on-year decrease of 14.2%, and China's imports were US$267 million, a year-on-year decrease of 17.6%. From January to September 2024, the trade volume between China and Luxembourg reached US$540 million, a year-on-year increase of 9.4%, of which China's exports were US$300 million, a year-on-year increase of 0.2%, and Luxembourg's exports were US$240 million, a year-on-year increase of 23.3%.
China and Luxembourg have achieved fruitful results in the three traditional cooperation areas: finance, steel, and air cargo. China and Luxembourg signed memorandums of understanding on jointly building the Belt and Road cooperation on March 27, 2019.
In December 2023, the 22nd Meeting of the China-Belgium-Luxembourg Economic and Trade Mixed Committee was held in Beijing.
In 1979, the two countries signed a cultural cooperation agreement, which came into effect on May 8, 1981. Since 1983, the two sides have signed seven cultural exchange implementation plans under the framework of the agreement. Chinese folk art exhibitions, Hubei Zhou Dynasty art exhibitions, and chime performances were held in Luxembourg. Chinese acrobatic troupe, national orchestra, gymnastics team, etc. have visited Luxembourg. In 2010, Luxembourg successfully participated in the Shanghai World Expo, and the Luxembourg Pavilion with the theme of "Small is Beautiful" was selected as one of the six pavilions to be permanently retained. In October 2011, Luxembourg hosted the fourth China-Europe Cultural Dialogue. Chinese delegation composed of experts from the Chinese Academy of Arts and various fields conducted in-depth discussions with the European side on multiple topics. In February 2018, the Ministry of Culture's "Happy Chinese New Year" event came to Luxembourg for the first time. In December 2019, the Luxembourg Chinese Cultural Center was established. On November 18, 2022, the Luxembourg Chinese Cultural Center officially started operation, and held the opening ceremony of the theme photo exhibition of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Luxembourg and the theme photo exhibition of "An Extraordinary Decade of China in The New Era". Since 2023, the Luxembourg Chinese Cultural Center has organized various activities such as art exhibitions, concerts, and cultural festivals. From March to August 2024, Luxembourg's National Museum of Archaeology held the exhibition"Small But Beautiful: Treasures of Cultural Heritage from Luxembourg" at the Henan Museum in Zhengzhou. The exhibits included stone tools, ceramics, oil paintings, etc.
In 2000, Chen Zhili, Minister of Education of China, visited Luxembourg, and the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on China-Luxembourg educational cooperation. During the visit of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg to China in 2006, the two countries signed the "Memorandum of Cooperation between Renmin University of China and University of Luxembourg". In 2007, the University of Luxembourg officially launched a graduate exchange and training program with Shandong University, Renmin University and other universities in China. In July 2011, the "Luxembourg Chinese Language and Culture Center" was established which added adult classes and courses such as calligraphy, painting and martial arts, on the basis of the "Luxembourg Chinese School" run by the Chinese community in Luxembourg. In April 2018, Fudan University and the University of Luxembourg jointly established the first Luxembourg Confucius Institute.
The two countries have signed: Civil Aviation Transport Agreement (2002), China-Belgium-Luxembourg Investment Protection Agreement (renewed in 2005), Cooperation Agreement between China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce (2006), China-Luxembourg Social Security Agreement (2017).
Luxembourg has consulates general in Shanghai and Hong Kong. China has no consular institutions in Luxembourg.