BEIJING, April 8. /TASS/. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit to China will focus on creating a more equitable relationship between the German government and China, Cui Hongjian, a professor with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times.
During his visit, Scholz "will also endeavor to seek a political balance in Germany's China policy, preventing it from being kidnapped entirely by negative voices or policies emanating from its foreign ministry and economic ministry," Cui said.
The professor believes that the German chancellor’s visit to China "underscores Germany's commitment to preserving the mutual benefits derived from bilateral cooperation." "Beyond the automotive industry, there is significant untapped potential for collaboration in sectors such as new energy and biopharmaceuticals," he said.
According to Cui, rhetoric from certain Western politicians regarding alleged overproduction and unfair competition in China is "causing apprehension among small- and medium-sized companies in Germany." "If such rhetoric persists, it could potentially harm bilateral relations between China and Germany," the paper quoted the expert as saying.
There are pluses and minuses to Chinese-German cooperation, he noted, expressing confidence that "Scholz's visit, together with a series of high-level engagements between China and the EU, will play a positive role in pushing the two sides to seek consensus."
As German Government Spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said earlier, on April 13 Scholz will leave for China, where he will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on April 16. The chancellor will first visit the city of Chongqing (in the country’s southwest). On April 14, he will tour the site of a German manufacturer of hydrogen-powered propulsion systems, and on the following day, Scholz will travel to Shanghai to inspect a factory manufacturing plastic products.