During China Visit, German Chancellor Scholz to Meet Xi Jinping... Chinese Media Asks "Return to Merkel Era?"

中GT "Meaning of Germany's Willingness to Improve Bilateral Relations"

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who visited China for the first time in about 1 year and 6 months, is expected to express concerns over China's subsidy policies and support for Russia. Meanwhile, local analyses in China interpret this visit as a sign of willingness to improve bilateral relations. In particular, they recalled the relatively friendly relations during former Chancellor Angela Merkel's administration and self-assessed the atmosphere as similar to the 'Merkel era.'

On the 14th, China's state-run Global Times (GT) reported, "Chancellor Scholz arrived in Chongqing, southwestern China, to begin a three-day visit," adding, "Commentators and entrepreneurs evaluate his visit as similar to the 'Merkel era.'" GT emphasized, "European countries are actively building and expanding practical cooperation with China despite external noise." This visit is Scholz's second to China since taking office in 2021, marking about 1 year and 6 months since his last visit in November 2022. It is also his longest bilateral visit since assuming office.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Upon arriving in Chongqing, the industrial hub of China, Scholz visited the hydrogen engine production facility of the German auto parts company Bosch and met with students to discuss urban planning. He is scheduled to move to Shanghai on the 15th and Beijing on the 16th to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Twelve business leaders accompanied him, including representatives from German automobile companies Mercedes-Benz and BMW, chemical company BASF, and technology company Siemens. Government officials such as Agriculture Minister Cem ?zdemir, Transport Minister Volker Wissing, and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke also joined the visit.

Market observers expect Scholz to express concerns about China's subsidy policies during his meetings with President Xi and Premier Li. Recently, the European Union (EU) launched investigations into Chinese government subsidies for Chinese eco-friendly product companies, including electric vehicles, solar panels, and wind turbines.

However, GT introduced, "Scholz is the first major Western leader to visit China this year," adding, "He is striving to maintain policy independence against the US-led 'risk reduction' demands pushed by some EU hawks." It further analyzed, "This visit took place amid rising trade tensions between China and the EU over the new energy industry, complicating China-EU relations."

Professor Chui Hongjian of the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University compared Scholz's visit to former Chancellor Merkel's visits, stating, "During the Merkel era, China-Germany relations reached a new peak," calling it "a very positive signal." He also emphasized, "Despite significant changes in the overall environment, Scholz's efforts may indicate a desire to stabilize and elevate bilateral relations back to the previous trajectory."

Meanwhile, according to the German Economic Institute (IW), Germany's direct investment in China last year reached a record high of 11.9 billion euros (approximately 17.5192 trillion KRW), up 4.3% from the previous year. China has also been Germany's largest trading partner for eight consecutive years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.