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.