Europe’s tensions to the fore as German Chancellor re-engages China

Beijing’s support for Russia and controversial trade practices are sources of friction but Germany, as China’s biggest European partner, finds it hard to deliver a tough message.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (third from right) visiting a research project on the monitoring of water quality in Chongqing, China, on April 14, 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS
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Back to the good old days in China’s relations with Europe? After the long diplomatic hiatus caused by the pandemic, it certainly seems so.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is currently in China, touring the country’s biggest industrial cities before heading to Beijing for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. A few weeks from now, President Xi will arrive in Europe for his first round of state visits to the continent since 2019.

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