Ukraine will also be a topic of conversation
“Important power” – Scholz travels to China for three days
April 8, 2024, 3:50 p.m
China has been an important partner of Russia since the beginning of the Ukraine war. During a state visit, Chancellor Scholz wants to talk about how the People’s Republic could contribute to ending the conflict. Further program items are also planned.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is setting off on a three-day trip to the People’s Republic of China on Saturday. During his talks with the leadership in Beijing, the Chancellor wanted to explore, among other things, the extent to which China could influence Russia and its conduct of the war in Ukraine, said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit in Berlin. The Chancellor’s travel schedule also includes company visits and a conversation with students.
“Our wish would be for China to be able to use the influence it has on Russia in order to contribute to a more peaceful development in the Ukraine conflict,” said Hebestreit. The People’s Republic is an “important power” in international issues – in Ukraine, in the South China Sea and in relations with the USA, he continued.
Russia and China have deepened their relations since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February 2022. Beijing is now one of Moscow’s most important trading partners. China claims to be taking a neutral position in the Ukraine conflict and is officially in favor of a political solution to end the fighting. On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China for a visit.
Before his talks in Beijing, Scholz first wants to visit the metropolises of Chongqing and Shanghai. According to his spokesman, Scholz wants to visit the production facility of a German company for sustainable hydrogen drives in Chongqing on Sunday. On Monday, Scholz will then travel to Shanghai, where, among other things, he wants to visit the site of a German plastics company that specializes in green and sustainable technologies. The Chancellor wants to give a lecture at a university and then discuss it with students.
The political talks are scheduled for Tuesday. According to the Hebestreit, the Chancellor will then meet President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang in Beijing. Scholz and Li also want to take part in a meeting of the German-Chinese economic advisory committee. According to the spokesman, Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing as well as Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir from Germany will also be traveling to the talks on Tuesday.
China is Germany’s partner and rival at the same time
Hebestreit referred to the federal government’s China strategy, in which the People’s Republic is classified as a competitor, rival and partner at the same time. “That is the basis for our actions and our attitude towards China,” he said. Hebestreit did not want to comment on the question of whether he shared Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s statement that China’s president was a “dictator” – these words from the minister caused great anger in Beijing last year. Hebestreit said he could neither deny nor confirm whether Scholz considered the president to be a “dictator.”
This is Scholz’s second visit to China since he took office as Chancellor. The first visit took place in November 2022. The one-day visit was still heavily influenced by the strict Corona restrictions in the People’s Republic.