Chancellor Olaf Scholz receives Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday for delicate talks in the midst of a diplomatic readjustment towards China, which remains its largest trading partner.
The Chinese official, appointed in March, chose Germany for his first official visit abroad.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who welcomed Li Qiang on his arrival on Monday, set the tone for the discussions, emphasizing through his spokesperson that “China is a partner for Germany and Europe , but also increasingly a competitor and a rival on the political scene”.
Tuesday morning, red carpet and military honors kicked off the talks at the chancellery. Eight German ministers are taking part in the consultations, including those for the economy, finance and foreign affairs.
Statements are expected at midday.
It is “a test to know if a real partnership between Berlin and Beijing is still possible,” said AFP Thorsten Benner, director of the Global Institute for Public Policy (GPPI).
The visit is expected to mark a departure from past years, notably the era of Chancellor Angela Merkel when Germany was above all seeking to strengthen its trade relations with China.
Economically, Berlin is counting on diversifying its partners to “reduce the risks” linked to its excessive dependence on the Asian giant in strategic sectors.
On the diplomatic side, Chinese threats against Taiwan, accusations of persecution against the Uyghurs, Xi Jinping’s failure to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine have widened the gap with Beijing.
Witness of this readjustment, the publication last week by Berlin of a document which describes China as a hostile force.
China is acting “against our interests and values”, accuses the German government in particular in its “National Security Strategy”.
But he also underlines the need to continue to treat the country as a “partner” and to obtain Beijing’s cooperation on international issues such as the fight against climate change.
Beijing railed against being called a “systemic partner, competitor and rival” in the text, saying such labels would only “push our world into a whirlwind of division and confrontation”.
The latest report, released on Tuesday, from German intelligence also names China as the “greatest threat in terms of economic and scientific espionage, and foreign direct investment in Germany”.
During his meeting with the German president, Li Qiang assured that China is ready to work with Germany to contribute to “global stability and prosperity”.
Beijing and Washington resumed dialogue during a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Chinese capital on Sunday and Monday. But disagreements remain deep between the two great powers.
In the midst of Sino-American tensions, Germany is a privileged interlocutor for Beijing. All the more so at a time when the country’s growth engines are struggling to regain momentum after the Covid pandemic.
“China could seek support from Berlin to try to maintain free trade between China and the EU,” said Gregor Sebastian, an economist at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics) in Berlin.
“Beijing wants to show that the dialogue with one of its main trading partners is continuing,” notes Mikko Huotari, another Merics researcher.
Especially since from Siemens to BASF, via car manufacturers, the major German industrialists continue to invest massively in the Chinese market, which is crucial for their business.
For Spiegel magazine, “it is almost impossible to find the right way to deal with China”. Geopolitical, economic and human rights tensions are accumulating, notes the weekly, but it is “important to continue to have a relationship of trust” with Beijing.
And the weekly concludes: “managing this balance without suffering from a hernia is a real challenge, not only during the negotiations on Tuesday, but also in the years and decades to come”.
20/06/2023 12:37:24 – Berlin (AFP) © 2023 AFP
