Germany’s Olaf Scholz meets China’s Xi Jinping as trade in focus

Scholz’s journey to China has been criticised over his willingness to do offers with an more and more authoritarian Beijing.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (left) meets Chinese language President Xi Jinping (proper) on the Nice Corridor of the Folks in Beijing, China, on November 4, 2022 [Kay Nietfeld/pool/AP]

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has met with Chinese language President Xi Jinping through the first go to by a frontrunner of the Group of Seven (G7) nations to China in three years.

Main a high-level enterprise delegation to China on Friday, the German chief’s deal with boosting financial ties with Beijing has led to criticism of his obvious want to strike offers with a nation rising extra authoritarian beneath President Xi.

German business’s heavy dependence on China has additionally confronted renewed scrutiny, significantly over Berlin’s over-reliance on Russian power imports, with the nation deeply uncovered when Moscow lower off provides in retaliation for sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine.

Scholz’s arrival in Beijing marked the primary go to by a frontrunner of the G7 – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and United States – because the begin of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.

Acquired by a smiling Xi at Beijing’s Nice Corridor of the Folks, Scholz stated he hoped to “additional develop” financial cooperation – whereas alluding to areas of disagreement.

“It's good that we're in a position to have an trade right here about all questions, together with these questions the place we've totally different views – that’s what an trade is for,” Scholz stated.

“We additionally wish to discuss how we are able to additional develop our financial cooperation on different matters: local weather change, meals safety, indebted international locations,” he stated.

Xi instructed Scholz that as massive nations with affect, China and Germany ought to work collectively throughout “occasions of change and turmoil” for the sake of world peace, in response to state broadcaster CCTV.

Scholz additionally spoke with Chinese language Premier Li Keqiang later within the afternoon at a gathering through which he referred to as for honest commerce between the 2 international locations. He urged Beijing to do extra to press its ally Russia over the warfare in Ukraine.

“I instructed President (Xi) that it can be crucial for China to make use of its affect on Russia,” Scholz stated at a gathering with the press throughout which the Chinese language facet insisted there was “not sufficient time” for questions.

‘Going it alone’ on China

Forward of the go to, German opposition politician Norbert Roettgen instructed the Rheinische Put up newspaper that Scholz’s strategy to Beijing gave the impression to be underpinned by the concept that “we wish to maintain doing enterprise with China, it doesn't matter what meaning for the dependence of our financial system, and for our skill to behave”.

“The chancellor is pursuing a international coverage which is able to result in a lack of belief in Germany amongst our closest companions,” stated Roettgen, from the conservative CDU occasion, accusing Scholz of “going it alone” in his strategy to China.

Berlin says there have been consultations with key companions within the US and Europe forward of the go to and Scholz additionally promised a “candid trade” with Chinese language leaders on delicate topics.

The German and Chinese language economies are deeply intertwined. China is an important marketplace for German items, from equipment to autos made by the likes of Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Chinese language state media has lauded the go to.

Chinese language President Xi Jinping will quickly meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday on the Nice Corridor of the Folks in Beijing. pic.twitter.com/zjs4DqNV5f

— World Occasions (@globaltimesnews) November 4, 2022

Patrick Fok, reporting from Beijing for Al Jazeera, stated that state media in China had described the go to when it comes to “hitting the brakes on the EU’s excessive confrontational stance on China”, and the go to will possible be framed as an endorsement of Xi’s new authorities.

Xi was re-elected for a 3rd, five-year time period on the Chinese language Communist Occasion Congress in Beijing final month, an endorsement that propelled Xi to the standing of essentially the most highly effective chief in China since Mao Zedong.

“Olaf Scholz’s go to has come beneath excessive scrutiny with many in Europe saying that it alerts an absence of a unified voice throughout the bloc on the way to take care of Beijing, and that Germany is making the identical errors because it did with Russia,” Fok stated.

“That's maybe why that is such a fleeting go to,” he added, noting that the German chancellor will solely be in China for about 24 hours.

Scholz stated in a newspaper interview that “we won't ignore controversies” and listed a number of delicate matters that might be addressed in talks together with his Chinese language counterpart. They embody respect for civil liberties in China, human rights within the Xinjiang area, the place the United Nations has stated the remedy of the Uighur Muslim minority may quantity to crimes towards humanity, and the standing of Taiwan.

In Beijing, international ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian stated on Thursday that China was wanting ahead to a “profitable” go to, and that “cooperation far exceeds competitors” between China and Germany.

“China and Germany are companions, not rivals,” the spokesman stated.

“Each international locations have benefitted from one another’s development and sensible bilateral cooperation. A sound China-Germany relationship is sweet not just for the 2 international locations, but additionally for China-EU ties and the world,” he stated.

The spokesman additionally warned that China won't countenance criticism on issues which are “inside affairs”.

“For instance on Xinjiang, China’s place is constant and clear. These are China’s inside affairs, which brook no international interference. On the so-called ‘human rights’ points, China respects and protects human rights,” he stated.

“China is towards utilizing human rights discussions as a pretext to intrude in China’s inside affairs or smear and discredit China,” he added.

Forward of the go to, Chinese language dissidents and the World Uyghur Congress had referred to as on Scholz to cancel his journey.