A week after describing China as a “systemic partner, competitor and rival” that acts “against our values ??and interests”, the German government received Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang in Berlin on Tuesday, extreme caution in statements and gestures so as not to annoy the Asian giant more than necessary. In an appearance before the press in which no questions were allowed, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, assured that Germany does not want to cut with China, but to diversify its trade in Asia. “Germany is committed to expanding economic relations in Asia; we don’t want to be closed to a partner, we want balanced partnerships,” he said, insisting that Berlin “has no interest” in isolating itself economically from China, its main trading partner.
Since the presentation last week of the first national security strategy in German history, which defined China in terms of risk, Scholz has lavished himself in public statements on his theory towards China with two concepts in English: de-risking (reducing risks ) instead of decoupling. Reason given: there is no escape from having a relationship with China to address global challenges.
One of the global challenges now is to end the war in Ukraine. Scholz called on Li to use his influence in Russia for “a just peace in Ukraine,” which “cannot be based on pecking order,” but on respect for his territorial integrity. The German called on China to maintain its commitment “not to supply Russia with weapons” to avoid “a frozen conflict.”
At the other lectern in the Foreign Ministry, Li Qiang focused on the economy, the central objective of his trip to Germany, the first he has made abroad since his inauguration as prime minister in March. The next stop on this mini-European tour of the number two Chinese power behind President Xi Jinping is Paris. Li argued that “the world economic recovery lacks growth momentum” and that “China and Germany, as large and influential nations, should cooperate more closely for world peace and development.”
Indeed, Li Qiang and a delegation of Chinese ministers and businessmen went to Berlin for Sino-German consultations already scheduled when last week the German government presented the new national security document to great fanfare. In a statement prior to the visit, Beijing had already expressed its anger over the label as a “systemic partner, competitor and rival”, arguing that such labels would only “throw our world into a whirlwind of division and confrontation”.
Eight German ministers participated in consultations with their Chinese counterparts, including the Economy, Finance and Foreign Ministers, and ended up signing a green transition agreement with unclear aspects. The great German industry, from the automotive industry to electronics and chemicals, continues to invest heavily in the Chinese market, crucial for their business. For Germany, it is almost unfeasible to come up with the right formula to deal with Beijing that does not harm its commercial interests and that simultaneously confronts the expansionist and authoritarian attitude of China and the risks of economic and scientific espionage and foreign direct investment from the country in Germany.
Scholz balanced on moving “towards a better understanding” also on issues where “there is no coincidence of opinion”, but he was very careful not to mention the aggressive Chinese position on Taiwan, Hong Kong or the Xinjiang Uyghurs.
If this visit was expected to signal a turning point on the German side compared to previous years, and in particular with respect to the time of Conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel, that was not the impression. Merkel has always prioritized strengthening trade relations with China, while discreetly intervening in some very specific cases of defense of human rights. Scholz’s words yesterday did not convey a very different approach, despite the forcefulness of the phrases in the national security document.
