Two days of economic events, one day of politics – the priorities for the Chancellor’s trip to China are clear. But Iran’s attack on Israel now also plays a role.
The Chancellor landed this morning in the central Chinese metropolis of Chongqing, the first stop on his trip. Olaf Scholz condemned the serious Iranian air strikes on Israeli territory “with the utmost sharpness”. “With this irresponsible and unjustifiable attack, Iran risks a regional conflagration,” he said through his government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. Germany stands closely on Israel’s side.
It is still unclear to what extent the Iranian attack on Israel will affect the Chancellor’s program in China. A visit to a German hydrogen drive factory initially took place as planned.
Olaf Scholz still wants to connect with the other G7 states today. The heads of state and government of the seven leading democratic industrial nations want to discuss a joint response to the attack.
German companies complain Conditions of competition
Tomorrow, Scholz has business events scheduled in the financial and economic metropolis of Shanghai, among other things. He is accompanied by numerous managers from large German corporations, including the heads of Siemens, Mercedes, Bayer and BMW – companies that still make a lot of money in China but also complain about unfair competitive conditions.
The Chancellor is supposed to address this on Tuesday at his political appointments in Beijing. Meetings are planned there with state and party leader Xi Jinping and head of government Li Qiang, among others.
In addition, Scholz is likely to address overcapacity in Chinese industry. The accusation from Europe is that China is flooding the markets with cheap products, including solar modules and electromobility.
In addition, Scholz is likely to call on the communist state and party leadership to use their influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. Before his departure, NGOs called on the Chancellor to clearly address human rights violations in China.
Benjamin Eyssel, ARD Beijing, tagesschau, April 14, 2024 6:15 a.m