German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in China on Friday (November 4) for a one-day flash visit to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He became the first G7 leader to visit China since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic.
Before this visit to China, Scholz faced criticism and concerns both at home and abroad. International relations scholars told the BBC that Germany’s economic shock forced the Scholz government to adopt a “political and economic separation” approach when facing China.
visit itinerary
Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Scholz at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday morning. According to Xinhua News Agency, Xi Jinping told Scholz that this year coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Germany. As long as the principles of mutual respect, seeking common ground while reserving differences, exchanges and mutual learning, and win-win cooperation are upheld, the general direction of bilateral relations will not be biased.
Xi Jinping also said that at present, the international situation is complex and changeable. As influential powers, China and Germany should work together in times of change and chaos to make more contributions to world peace and development.
According to Xinhua News Agency, Scholz also said that China is an important economic and trade partner of Germany and Europe. Germany firmly supports trade liberalization, supports economic globalization, and opposes “decoupling”. It is willing to continue to deepen economic and trade cooperation with China and support enterprises of the two countries. They go to each other to carry out investment cooperation. The German side is also willing to exchange views with the Chinese side on issues where the two sides have inconsistent positions, enhance understanding and mutual trust, and strive to stabilize, consolidate and develop Germany-China relations.
Reuters reported that Scholz told Xi that it was good for the leaders of the two countries to meet face-to-face during a tense time when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was causing problems for the global order.
Scholz also said that the two sides will discuss issues such as China-EU relations, combating climate change and global hunger, how to develop Sino-German economic relations, and issues of different views between the two countries.
The Reuters report also revealed that Scholz and a delegation of German business leaders were tested for the new coronavirus after arriving in Beijing on Friday morning, with Chinese medical staff wearing protective suits entering the plane for testing.
After a red carpet and honor guard welcome, the delegation was transferred from the airport to the Diaoyutai State Guest House to await the results of their coronavirus tests. The results were negative, according to Scholz’s press team.
critical voice
Before the visit, Scholz faced criticism in Germany and abroad. But a German government spokesman said before Scholz’s departure that he would urge China to open up its economic markets to European companies and discuss human rights during his visit to Beijing.
Recently, an unusually heated spat broke out at the highest levels of the German government as a Chinese company prepared to buy a large stake in the Port of Hamburg.
At least six government ministers reacted violently. They believe the agreement will give China significant leverage over Germany’s vital infrastructure. German security services have also asked for caution.
But the German chancellor appeared to insist the deal should go ahead. He reportedly brokered a deal, although it gave only a 24.9 percent stake, limiting size and influence.
No one knows for sure why he seems so determined. Scholz, a former mayor of Hamburg, remains close to the city’s authorities, who see the deal as a very important investment.
But many other commentators suspect this is for ulterior motives, and Scholz does not want to be in Beijing without a “gift” to Xi.
In addition, 70 human rights organizations including the World Uyghur Congress issued an open letter asking Scholz to reconsider his trip to Beijing.
The visit comes as Xi Jinping begins his third term as general secretary of the Communist Party of China, and during Xi’s first two terms, serious and widespread human rights violations in China have grown exponentially, the letter said.
“Inviting a German trade delegation to join you on your visit will be seen as Germany’s willingness to deepen trade and economic ties at the expense of human rights and international law,” the letter states.
The letter also said that Scholz’s visit at this time would send a worrying signal that democracies are not united in the face of China’s growing authoritarian behavior around the world.
More than 100 Chinese overseas activists also issued an open letter listing five reasons why Scholz should not visit China. Signatories of the open letter include the June 4 student movement leaders Wang Dan and Wuer Kaixi.
The reasons listed in the open letter include tracing the origin of the new crown epidemic, Xi Jinping’s third rule after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Xinjiang Uyghur issue, the Hong Kong issue and the Taiwan issue.
“As a politician, have you considered and measured that today’s China is not only a totalitarian state, but is gradually becoming a new Nazi-style dictatorship? Will your trip to China involve economic and political risks?” The open letter reads, “The current Xi Jinping regime is troubled both internally and externally, with infighting and public grievances emerging one after another. As the first leader of the free world who is about to visit China among the liberal democracies in the world, what views do you intend to express to China?”
Back to the big Chinese market
Zhang Mengren, an associate professor at the Italian Department of Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan, told BBC Chinese that the new crown epidemic, the Russian-Ukrainian war and the subsequent inflation and energy crisis have hit Germany, a major exporter, and a rare economic recession. The economic shock caused by the energy crisis forced Prime Minister Scholz to return to China’s big market to seek gold owners.
Zhang Mengren pointed out that Scholz’s visit to China has three meanings: “First, he went to China after the 20th National Congress with the mentality of dialogue with China, trying to act as a bridge between the G7 and China; second, in the way of the aforementioned bridge. In exchange for orders from China; thirdly, as the first Western power to go to Beijing after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, it can conduct a thorough investigation and take advantage of Xi Jinping’s favorable impression of Germany.”
Zhang Mengren believes that after an overall assessment, Germany found that it is difficult to abandon the Chinese market. It is foreseeable that Germany will not abandon the Chinese market, but will not give up its participation in the security deployment of the Indo-Pacific region, and even make more normal deployments, and it will be vigilant internally. Foreign investment in key facilities and external decentralization.
“The separation of politics and economics from China will be the means of the Scholz government.” Zhang Mengren said.
Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, an assistant professor at Taiwan’s Donghua University, believes that at this time, Germany sent such a high-profile business delegation for its own interests to damage Germany’s credibility and the EU’s firmness and unity in the face of the China issue.
“This visit will damage Europe’s emerging but fragile consensus on China, which is only in Beijing’s interest,” Feng Rusha said.
Feng Rusha also said that Scholz, who led a business delegation of companies highly dependent on the Chinese market, sent a message to Beijing that it could look forward to continuing to benefit from working with a divided rather than united EU. , while Germany wants to return to “business as usual”.
“It’s hard to imagine how such a visit would allow for discussions on issues such as human rights or Taiwan Strait security, which are indeed in the interests of Germany and Europe, given Germany’s reliance on Taiwanese semiconductors,” Feng Rusha noted.