"Germany and China struck business deals and reaffirmed a once-cozy relationship that has come under strain as Beijing has adopted a harder-edged stance in its dealings with the West and as political pressure has mounted within Germany to lessen economic dependence on China.
On Friday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Olaf Scholz to Beijing as the German chancellor largely brushed aside calls to keep a distance from China, prioritize human-rights concerns.
Instead, Mr. Scholz used his whirlwind 11-hour visit to sign business deals and announce new areas of cooperation, harking back to the days when the bilateral relationship was largely centered on commerce and other exchanges -- ties that Mr. Scholz has sought to sustain, despite growing calls back home to take a tougher stance on China.
Mr. Scholz said Friday that China had agreed to approve BioNTech SE's Covid-19 vaccine for foreign residents, and would discuss a pathway for the vaccine to be administered to the broader population. Chinese regulators had abruptly halted plans last year to approve domestic distribution of the German-developed shot, without explanation.
China also signed an order to buy 140 Airbus SE jetliners for about $17 billion, according to a statement from the Chinese state agency that purchases aircraft. An Airbus spokesman said the agreement covers pre-existing orders, without elaborating. In July, China placed a large order on behalf of three of its biggest airlines for 292 Airbus jets.
"It's good and right that I'm here in Beijing today," said Mr. Scholz, who also unveiled new collaborations on public health and climate.
Mr. Scholz's visit is part of a flurry of diplomacy by Mr. Xi following a closely watched Communist Party meeting last month, where Mr. Xi secured a fresh five-year term in power. The Chinese leader also welcomed counterparts from Vietnam, Pakistan and Tanzania this week. Later this month, Mr. Xi will head to a summit of the Group of 20 major economies in Indonesia, where he could meet with President Biden.
The visit by Mr. Scholz is the first by a European Union leader since enhanced sanctions on Russia in February, which has strained ties between Western European capitals and Beijing. Mr. Scholz's trip follows a dozen by his predecessor, Angela Merkel, a champion of closer economic ties with China.
Mr. Xi called for Germany and the EU to play a key role in promoting peace talks, according to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, adding that he supports building a "balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework" -- language seen in the West as a rebuke of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
China has said that it is neutral in the conflict, though Mr. Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have lavished praise on one another since the new sanctions began in February, shortly after the two men pledged a "no limits" partnership. Mr. Xi has yet to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since these sanctions began.
One of the testier political exchanges took place even before Mr. Scholz touched down in Beijing. In an op-ed published earlier in the week, Mr. Scholz suggested that he wouldn't shy away from addressing alleged human-rights abuses during his visit. When asked about the op-ed on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian warned against "using human rights discussions as a pretext to interfere in China's internal affairs."
Still, economic cooperation remained the main focus of the visit. Mr. Scholz was accompanied by chief executives from a dozen German companies. In addition to the BioNTech chief executive, Mr. Scholz was joined by the heads of chemicals giant BASF SE, financial conglomerate Deutsche Bank AG and auto maker Volkswagen AG, which makes 40% of its sales in China, according to people familiar with the trip planning.
In a reminder of China's reluctance to loosen pandemic containment measures, elaborate Covid-19 requirements were imposed on the visitors, who had to undergo PCR testing upon arrival and await negative test results before their meetings, according to German officials. Mr. Scholz was tested by a German doctor aboard the plane.
Those on the ground in Beijing meeting with the Scholz delegation, including German embassy staff and Chinese business executives participating in round-table meetings, were subjected to a quarantine and will have to self-isolate in a hotel and then at home for 10 days after the visit.
The Chinese business delegation included executives from car maker Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd., artificial-intelligence company SenseTime Group Inc. and Bank of China Ltd, the people said.
In the meetings, which were attended by Mr. Scholz and outgoing Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, German business representatives pushed China to relax its stringent Covid policy, especially for incoming travelers, the people said. They also criticized what they saw as a regression in China's market overhauls and hurdles to cross-border data transfers created by China's cybersecurity law, the people said.
Mr. Scholz said he had expressed concern that access to China's market had become increasingly difficult amid China's increased push for economic self-sufficiency.
Mr. Scholz's visit is a sign to some observers that the chancellor is willing to pursue what Beijing calls an independent policy." [1]
Why don't Lithuanian puppies bark at all? Afraid of Germans? Really?
1. World News: Scholz, Xi Strengthen Relations --- The focus of the German chancellor's meeting was economic cooperation with China
Sha Hua.
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 05 Nov 2022: A.10.
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