Xi tells Scholz China and Germany should work together during ‘times of turmoil’

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday touted the need for greater cooperation between China and Germany amid “times of change and turmoil” in a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the first Group of Seven leader to visit China since the pandemic began.

Mr Scholz’s one-day visit will test the waters between China and the West after years of mounting tensions, analysts say, with talks expected to touch on Russia’s war on Ukraine, climate change and economic ties.

During their first face-to-face meeting since Mr Scholz took office, held in the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing, Mr Xi said that as large nations with influence, China and Germany should work together all the more during “times of change and turmoil” for the sake of world peace, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

“At present, the international situation is complex and volatile,” Mr Xi was quoted as saying. “As large and influential countries, in times of change and turmoil China and Germany should work together all the more, to make more contributions to world peace and development.”

Mr Scholz told Mr Xi it was good that both leaders were meeting in person during tense times, and said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was creating problems for the rules-based global order, according to a Reuters reporter accompanying Mr Scholz’s delegation.

Mr Scholz also said that the two will discuss issues related to Europe-China relations, the fight against climate change and global hunger, and how to develop China-Germany economic ties, as well as topics where both countries had different perspectives.

The two leaders had lunch in the Great Hall of the People’s Golden Room, where banquets are sometimes held for foreign heads of state.

Covid-19 measures

Mr Scholz and a delegation of German business leaders flying with him were administered Covid-19 tests upon landing in Beijing on Friday morning, with Chinese medical staff donning hazmat suits going into the plane to conduct the tests, according to the Reuters reporter accompanying the delegation.

Following a red carpet and guard-of-honour reception, the delegation was moved from the airport to a state guesthouse to await the results of their Covid-19 tests, which quickly came out as negative for Mr Scholz, according to his press team.

Members of the German embassy in Beijing who come into contact with the delegation will have to undergo standard quarantine procedures – seven days in a hotel followed by three days at home – according to government sources.

China’s strict zero-Covid-19 policy and growing tensions with the West have made it unfeasible for leaders of major western powers to visit China, while Mr Xi only resumed foreign trips in September.

Since the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the ruling Communist Party in October, several foreign leaders have visited China and been given exemptions to the strict Covid-19 curbs, being instead placed in “bubbles” designed to minimise the chances of Covid-19 cases being imported into Beijing.

Testing the waters

Mr Scholz’s visit is likely a welcome development for the Chinese leadership, who will be looking to shore up relations with the outside world.

“China, in the present domestic and international environments, requires his visit and whatever both sides would jointly declare in Beijing, especially shortly after the (Party) Congress,” said Dr Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing.

Amid historic inflation and a looming recession in Germany, Mr Scholz will be looking to emphasise the need for continued cooperation with China.

Mr Scholz, who is also expected to meet outgoing Premier Li Keqiang, pledged earlier this week to raise issues such as human rights, Taiwan and the difficulties German companies face accessing the Chinese market, during his meetings in Beijing, according to government sources.

In the run-up to the visit, there had been criticism of the visit within the European Union and the German government coalition, mainly from the Green Party and the Liberals.

These tensions were brought to the fore by a deal last week whereby Chinese shipping giant Cosco received the green light from Berlin to obtain a stake in a Hamburg port terminal despite opposition from coalition partners.

China’s crucial role in key industries from shipbuilding to electric vehicles, along with the unprecedented economic headwinds facing Germany, meant that Mr Scholz needs cooperation with China more than his predecessor Angela Merkel ever did, said Dr Wang Yiwei, Jean Monnet Chair Professor and director of the Centre for European studies at Renmin University.

“Merkel was also quite ideological (towards China) in the beginning but then she changed her tune. Scholz has changed his tune even faster, but he does not have as solid a domestic political standing as Merkel,” said Dr Wang.

‘Going it alone’

The German and Chinese economies are deeply intertwined. Some in Berlin view the relationship as particularly important as Germany, battling an energy crisis triggered by the Ukraine war, hurtles towards recession.

China is a major market for German goods, from machinery to vehicles made by the likes of Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The leader of Europe’s top economy has defended the trip, insisting that direct talks with Chinese leaders were “all the more important” after a long hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a newspaper article, Mr Scholz said that “we will not ignore controversies”, and listed thorny topics that would figure in talks, from respect for civil liberties to the rights of minorities in Xinjiang.

In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China was looking forward to a successful visit, and that “cooperation far exceeds competition” between the countries.

But he also warned that “the Chinese side is opposed to interference in our internal affairs, and smearing us under the guise of discussing human rights issues”.

There are concerns that the trip – coming on the heels of Mr Xi securing a historic third term at a Communist Party Congress in October – may have unsettled the United States and the EU.

“The chancellor is pursuing a foreign policy which will lead to a loss of trust in Germany among our closest partners,” said Mr Norbert Roettgen, from the conservative CDU party, accusing Mr Scholz of “going it alone”.

Berlin, however, says there have been consultations with key partners, while Mr Scholz has insisted he is visiting China as a “European” as well as the leader of Germany. REUTERS, AFP