Will the German Chancellor’s visit to China change the countries’ ties?

Video length 25 minutes 40 seconds 25:40

Olaf Scholz is the first Western leader to meet Xi Jinping since the Chinese president began his third term.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited China, becoming the first Group of Seven (G7) leader to do so since the pandemic.

But the trip comes at a time of deep divisions between Beijing and the West.

During the war in Ukraine, China stayed close to Russia, while Germany and the European Union supplied Kyiv with weapons and imposed harsh sanctions on Moscow.

There are also other major divisions. The West is concerned about human rights, the treatment of Uyghur Muslims, and China’s intentions toward Taiwan.

But the trade relations of Germany and China are extremely important to both of them.

President Xi Jinping said he looked forward to greater cooperation between their countries during what he called “a time of change and chaos.”

And Scholz said he was not in favor of breaking with China, but wanted a relationship based on equality.

So, in which direction are relations between China, Germany and the EU headed?

Presenter: mohamed jamjoom

Guests:

Andy Mok – Senior Research Fellow at the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing

Gesine Weber – US German Marshall Fund Paris Office Research Analyst and European Security Expert

Yu Jie – Senior China Researcher at the Chatham House think tank in London