During his first visit to China as Chancellor, Olaf Scholz was received by Chinese head of state and party leader Xi Jinping.
Today’s talks in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing will focus primarily on bilateral relations, the geopolitical upheaval caused by the Ukraine war and tensions over Taiwan. Scholz is the first Western head of government to meet Xi Jinping after his re-election as party leader.
Scholz also wants to talk to the Chinese President about further developing economic relations and does not want to avoid differences. At the start of his talks with the head of state and party in Beijing, the SPD politician said that “of course” there would also be questions “where we pursue different perspectives”. That is “the goal of a good exchange”.
Because of the continued strict corona restrictions in China, Scholz’s visit lasts only eleven hours, making it shorter than any other chancellor’s trip to the world’s most populous country before. Since the beginning of the pandemic almost three years ago, the chancellor has been the first head of government from the group of large industrialized nations (G7) to visit China again. He also meets Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is due to step down next March.
On the road with top managers
The Chancellor is accompanied by around a dozen top managers, including the CEOs of Volkswagen, BMW, BASF, Bayer and Deutsche Bank. Scholz will also meet local company representatives in Beijing. The timing of the trip so soon after the party congress where Xi Jinping further expanded his power is disputed. Chinese dissidents and the World Uyghur Congress had even called for it to be cancelled.
Shortly before his departure, Scholz had announced a new course towards China in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. “It is clear that if China changes, the way we deal with China must also change.” Scholz also wants to address “difficult issues” such as human rights issues and dealing with minorities during his talks in Beijing. Scholz expressed concern about the situation around Taiwan and indirectly warned China of an invasion.
Ai Weiwei defends Chancellor
The most famous Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei meanwhile protected Scholz from criticism. Against the background of demands in advance not to travel, Ai Weiwei told the German Press Agency: “At least it’s not a bad idea.” In today’s world, it would be unrealistic to sever relationships to achieve political ends. That never worked. “I don’t think his visit to Beijing is unacceptable.”
Contacts between heads of state and government usually take place for reasons of strategic dependency and cannot be prevented by moralism. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Scholz or other European leaders – the most important thing is that they clearly state what they stand for. “Respect cannot be earned when a relationship is built purely for profit,” said the artist, now based in Portugal and often described as China’s “social conscience”.
Concerned that Germany might make similar mistakes with China as it did with Russia in the past, Ai Weiwei said: “What Germany is doing now can only be judged by history. Today, practically nobody can say.”
Scholz’s visit is controversial, among other things, because he is the first Western head of government to travel to Beijing shortly after the party congress. At the congress, Xi Jinping had extended his sole rule and had himself confirmed for a historically unusual third term.