Scholz in China
Xi relies on close cooperation with Germany
Chinese President Xi Jinping receives German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Beijing. photo
© Michael Kappeler/dpa
The most important thing at the end: On the last day of his trip to China, Chancellor Scholz will be received by President Xi. He finds warm words to start the conversation. Scholz becomes more specific.
Chinese President Xi Jinping began his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for close cooperation between the two countries. “Together, we can bring greater stability and security to the Earth,” Xi said, according to an official translation. “As long as we adhere to the principles of mutual respect, finding common ground despite differences and learning from each other, bilateral relations can continue to develop stably.”
Xi said a “new epoch of turbulence and upheaval” had begun in which risks to all humanity would increase. “In order to solve these questions, it is essential that cooperation between the major powers prevails.” In this sense, stable cooperation between the major economies of Germany and China is important. It will “exercise great influence not only on the entire Eurasian continent, but also on the entire world.”
Scholz became more specific in his short statement at the beginning of the conversation and addressed three topics: the war in Ukraine, climate protection and economic cooperation. He emphasized that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and Russia’s rearmament had significant negative effects on security in Europe. “They directly affect our core interests. They indirectly damage the entire international order because they violate a principle of the United Nations Charter, the principle of the inviolability of national borders.”
Scholz called for cooperation on climate protection
Scholz recalled that during his last visit to China, he and Xi made it clear that the use of nuclear weapons should not even be threatened. “I would like to discuss with you today how we can contribute more to a just peace in Ukraine.”
Scholz called for closer cooperation with China on climate protection. “Our two states bear responsibility for protecting global public goods,” said the SPD politician. And he campaigned for a rules-based trading system, as embodied by the World Trade Organization (WTO). “Both China and Germany are trading nations that benefit greatly from the WTO. We are committed to strengthening the rules for global trade and further developing them together with the other WTO members.”