German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the first visit by a leader of the Group of Seven (G7) countries to China in three years.
Leading a high-level business delegation to China on Friday, the German leader’s focus on boosting economic ties with Beijing has led to criticism of his apparent eagerness to strike deals with a nation growing more authoritarian under President Xi.
German industry’s heavy reliance on China has also faced fresh scrutiny, particularly over Berlin’s over-reliance on Russian energy imports, with the country deeply exposed when Moscow cut off supplies in retaliation for sanctions imposed over the start of aggression in Ukraine.
Scholz’s arrival in Beijing marked the first visit by a leader of the G7 – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.
During a one-on-one meeting with Scholz on Friday, Xi said that as major, influential nations, China and Germany should work together during “times of change and turmoil” for the sake of world peace.
Scholz told Xi it was good that the two leaders were meeting in person during tense times, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine creating problems for the rules-based international order.
Ahead of the visit, German opposition politician Norbert Roettgen told that Scholz’s approach to Beijing appeared to be underpinned by the idea that “we want to continue doing business with China, regardless of what that means for the economy’s dependence ours and for our ability to act”.
While Berlin says it has consulted with key partners in the US and Europe ahead of the visit, Scholz also promised a “frank exchange” with Chinese leaders on sensitive topics.