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China uses divide-and-conquer tactic to thwart de-risking
Recent charm offensives aim to split the West, governments from companies
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Chinese Premier Li Qiang (left) meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on June 20.
PHOTO: AFP
BEIJING - When Chinese Premier Li Qiang went to Germany recently, just as the European Union unveiled a “de-risking” proposal primarily aimed at his country, the prime minister set about doing a persuasion, or rather, dissuasion job.
He told German leaders and businesses that the Chinese have never thought it risky to drive a Volkswagen, “nor do we think it’s unsafe to get a CT scan by Siemens equipment”, Chinese state media quoted him as saying.
