China’s German Scholz amid trade, Ukraine and rights issues

Beijing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday, highlighting China’s tacit support for Russia in its war with Ukraine and lingering disputes over economic ties and human rights issues. He was criticized for it.

Scholz, who is traveling with Germany’s top business leaders, was formally welcomed by Xi, the recently re-elected Communist Party leader, at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.

Xi said Mr. Scholz’s visit marked more than 50 years of diplomatic ties since the two countries resumed economic exchanges that are an important part of their relationship to this day, despite bitter confrontations during the Cold War. He pointed out that the time has come.

“Currently, the international situation is complex and volatile,” President Xi Jinping told state broadcaster CCTV, without specifically mentioning Ukraine. world peace and development. ”

In his opening remarks, Scholz made direct reference to the conflict that has created millions of refugees and upended global food and energy markets, according to German news agency DPA: “We are coming together at a time of great tension. He said.

“In particular, I would like to focus on the war between Russia and Ukraine, which poses many problems for the rules-based world order,” Scholz said.

Scholz also touched on global hunger, climate change and the debt of developing countries as “important issues,” the DPA reported.

Scholz relies on a coalition of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberal Democrats. has been criticized for visiting China Shortly after the 69-year-old president’s victory at last month’s party congress, he was nominated for a third five-year term to present his vision of tighter control over society to the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee. Packed with dedicated supporters to support. A more confrontational approach to the economy and the West.

The visit also comes amid heightened tensions over Taiwan, following a United Nations report that China’s human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other ethnic groups in Xinjiang may amount to “crimes against humanity.” in the process of.

Mr. Scholz traveled with about a dozen top German business leaders, including CEOs of Volkswagen, BMW, BASF, Bayer and Deutsche Bank. Mr. Scholz will also meet with company representatives in Beijing.

Some German observers have therefore questioned whether Germany has become overly dependent on the Chinese market, as Russia has done for its energy supply.

After lunch, Scholz and his delegation were to meet with Premier Li Keqiang, nominally in charge of China’s economy.

Despite political controversy, Scholz’s visit reflects the importance of trade ties with Germany, the world’s second largest economy.

In an article in the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Scholz said he was traveling to Beijing “just because business as usual is not an option in this situation.”

“It’s clear that when China changes, so must the way we treat China.” Scholz said he would also address “difficult issues” such as the rights of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Ethnic minorities are being mass-detained in what the United States and others call a campaign of genocide.

Scholz is the first leader of a G7 developed country to meet with President Xi since the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which was first detected in China in 2019. A strategy for an increasingly assertive and authoritarian Beijing.

Mr. Scholz’s message will face close scrutiny, especially at home, where some criticize him for normalizing China’s behavior.His administration signals a departure from his predecessor Angela Merkel’s firm trade-first approach, but his visit follows domestic discord. Over Major Investments of Chinese Shipping Companies At a container terminal in Hamburg, an important port in Germany.

With China still imposing strict COVID-19 restrictions, his delegation is moving inside an antivirus bubble, undergoing tests and not staying overnight in Beijing.In just 11 hours. , is the shortest trip to China by a German leader to date. The crew that took him to Beijing flew to South Korea awaiting a visit and did not need to be quarantined.

German officials say the visit aims to explore where China is headed and what forms of cooperation are possible.

The official pointed to China’s “special responsibility” as an ally of Russia, helped end the war in Ukraine and pressured Russia to weaken its nuclear rhetoric. to concerns over tensions in Taiwan and the wider region; to Germany’s desire for a “level playing field” in economic relations. And to Scholze’s current position as this year’s G7 presidency.