Germany's Scholz visits China to boost cooperation, political trust
This would mark the first visit to China by an EU leader since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
Olaf Scholz welcomes China's President Xi Jinping at the airport in Hamburg on July 6, 2017. (AFP)
German Chancellor Olaf Sfcholz's visit to China will kick-start developments regarding Chinese-German cooperation, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday.
"I am confident that this visit will grant a new impetus to the development of China-Germany relations of comprehensive strategic partnership, as well as contribute to peace and stability in the whole world," Zhao said, noting that strengthening relations and political trust would meet the interests of both Berlin and Beijing.
This would mark the first visit by an EU leader to China since the COVID-19 outbreak of 2019, making it also the first time Scholz visits China since he assumed office, according to Zhao.
Read next: West competes with China over Pacific influence
Two weeks ago, Scholz announced that he would lead a government delegation to China in November.
This came after French President Emmanuel Macron, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that they had scrapped a pipeline project that was fervently supported by Germany. They agreed instead on building a natural gas pipeline connecting the Iberian peninsula to the rest of Europe.
According to the German government, Scholz and China's President Xi Jinping will be meeting again at the G20 summit in Bali in mid-November.
Read next: Germany may give China smaller stake in Hamburg port deal
China, the EU's most important trading partner, accounted for 16.2% of total EU trade in 2021, with Beijing corresponding for 22.3% of total European imports and 10.3% of exports.
In October, EU leaders that they would defend their ideals and independence in dealings with China but warned against being dragged into confrontation and deterioration of relations.
"This discussion showed a very clear will to avoid being naive, but neither did we want to embark into a logic of systematic confrontation," summit host and EU Council President Charles Michel said.
The 27-nation union had three hours of strategic talks on its approach to China during their Brussels meeting.
