German leader greeted in China by city’s deputy mayor (VIDEO) — RT World News
Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang later this week.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz began a high-level visit to China on Sunday in a bid to boost economic ties between the two countries amid rising tensions between Western allies and Beijing over a variety of trade and political issues.
The chancellor, accompanied by a large delegation of ministers and senior executives from companies including Siemens, BMW and Mercedes, landed in the southwestern city of Chongqing, an industrial center with a population of more than 30 million people.
Schulz came to China at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang, but at the airport his delegation was met by the Deputy Mayor of Chongqing, Zhang Guoqi, and the Chinese Ambassador to Germany, Wu Qin.
The German leader is scheduled to visit the financial hub of Shanghai on Monday, before traveling to the capital on Tuesday to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. The three-day trip, the second and longest since he took office in 2021, is said to be aimed at strengthening trade ties with the world's second-largest economy, despite US calls for it. “Separation.” He is also expected to address overcoming differences over the Russia-Ukraine conflict and tensions over Taiwan.
“China remains a truly important economic partner.” Schulz told reporters on Friday, pledging to try to ensure fair competition for German companies operating in China.
Schulz's visit comes despite Germany's Western partners tightening their trade grip with Beijing and the United States investigating national security risks supposedly posed by Chinese technology. China denies any wrongdoing, and criticizes all allegations as politically motivated unfair competition practices.
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