German chancellor’s visit exposes EU rifts over China

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/german-chancellors-visit-exposes-eu-rifts-over-china/a-63640068

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is embarking on a high-stakes visit to China this week, becoming the first European Union leader to visit the Asian superpower since the onset of the COVID pandemic, as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  

During the one-day trip to Beijing on Friday, Scholz will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

The German leader has promised a “candid exchange” with Chinese leaders on all issues, ranging from trade and human rights to Taiwan and Russia’s Ukraine invasion.

This is also the first trip by an EU leader since Xi secured a precedent-busting third term and further consolidated his grip on power by packing the upper echelons of the party with his loyalists.

In an article for Politico on Thursday, Scholz wrote that “today’s China isn’t the same as the China of five or 10 years ago,” and “as China changes, the way that we deal with China must change too.”

Scholz is expected to be accompanied by a high-profile business delegation, comprising top executives from companies like Volkswagen, BASF and Deutsche Bank.

Short-term business interests over strategic concerns?

The visit, however, has sparked criticism as many in Germany and the EU view Scholz as prioritizing short-term business interests over strategic concerns and EU unity.

Scholz’s decision to proceed with this trip “displays his narrow focus on German short-term business interests, which has taken precedence over any consideration of EU unity,” Mathieu Duchatel, director of the Asia Program at Institut Montaigne in Paris, told DW.

On Twitter, Norbert Röttgen, foreign policy expert with the opposition Christian Democrats wrote: “Contrary to all announcements, the Scholz government simply continues to bet on short-term profits for large companies, while ignoring the long-term dependency costs relative to China.”

The visit comes shortly after Scholz — despite objections from many in his Cabinet and ruling coalition — pushed through a controversial deal to allow Chinese state-owned shipping company Cosco to buy a minority 24.9% stake in one of Hamburg’s port terminals.

The deal raised concerns that Beijing is gradually increasing control over key infrastructure on the continent.

Thierry Breton, EU commissioner for the internal market, told Reuters this week that EU nations “should not be naive whenever they approve Chinese investment.”

“We need to be extremely vigilant,” he said.