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Li Qiang’s first abroad travel since taking office in March was with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Scholz opposed economic decoupling from Beijing and advocated for a “level playing field” for Western companies in China.
At a Berlin press conference with Li, Scholz raised concerns about German companies’ access to the Chinese market and fair competition. For seven years, he emphasized Germany’s aim to sustain economic cooperation with China, its top trading partner.
Scholz’s ruling coalition and German businesses and allies are debating how to manage Europe’s economic dependence on China during Li’s visit. Scholz, who is more cooperative with China than Green party ministers, said German companies were diversifying to form balanced alliances across Asia and beyond.
Given China’s economic woes from epidemic lockdowns and real estate upheaval, Li’s visit to Germany is part of Beijing’s charm drive to attract international investment. Li told German businesses that cooperation and risk protection are not contradictory and that lack of cooperation is the greatest danger and barrier to progress.
The Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, accused China of acquiring German enterprises with cutting-edge technology to obtain political influence, espionage, and sabotage in its annual report.
Scholz also asked Beijing to boost pressure on Russia over the Ukraine issue and promised to improve German-Chinese climate change cooperation. The European Commission has been pressing EU member states to develop a new outbound investment framework to evaluate corporations’ engagement in China and a coordinated system of regulations on highly sensitive technology transfers.
Scholz asked for more freedom for German media in China, even though Li and she did not take questions. Opposition lawmakers complained about the lack of question time. Scholz avoided discussing Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang’s human rights issues.
Europe-China relations specialist Noah Barkin compared Scholz’s news conference to former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s, but without questions. Barkin said the US and EU agree on the need to “de-risk” commercial ties with China, but their interpretations differ.
The Chinese Premier told executives from Siemens, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and BASF that “de-risking” choices should be taken by businesses, not governments. Li pushed German and Chinese enterprises to collaborate on renewable energy and low-carbon technologies.
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