Germany's Scholz to meet Xi during 3-day China trip

AFP | Berlin       

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to China on Saturday for a three-day visit that will include talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, at a time when both economic giants are struggling.

Scholz will meet Xi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing at the end of his trip on April 16, the chancellor's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said at a press conference on Monday.

He will also travel to the central city of Chongqing on Sunday, before heading to Shanghai on Monday.

Along the way, Scholz will hold talks with German business executives and give a speech at a Shanghai university.

He will be accompanied by a trio of cabinet ministers and a German industrial delegation.

The visit to China is Scholz's second since he became chancellor, with the first in November 2022.

That trip took place under strict Covid pandemic restrictions, which limited the visit to one day.

The 2022 visit also took place against the backdrop of a heated debate over the need to reduce Germany's lopsided reliance on China, prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and rising concern over geopolitical risks.

Scholz has insisted there will be no "decoupling" from its biggest trading partner, but Germany has also been cautiously nurturing relationships with other countries in southeast Asia.

As well as trade issues, the war in Ukraine will also be on the agenda during the talks with Xi, who has maintained closer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I think China has influence on Russia and our wish would be for China to be able to exercise the influence it has," Hebestreit said.