German Chancellor arrives on visit to China, plans to discuss Ukraine and economy

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in China on Sunday 14 April with a three-day visit.

Source: DW; European Pravda

Details: The German Chancellor began his visit in Chongqing. He will also travel to Shanghai and Beijing, where he will meet with Chinese leaders Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

Scholz intends to reassure Xi that Germany remains committed to conducting business with the PRC.

"China remains a really important economic partner," the chancellor told reporters prior to the visit, adding that he would work to level the playing field for German companies in China.

Scholz also intends to use the visit to encourage Xi to influence Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and help resolve Russia's war with Ukraine.

This is Scholz's second visit to China since being elected chancellor. The previous one, in November 2022, took place amid strict coronavirus restrictions in the PRC and worries over Berlin's reliance on Chinese imports.

Earlier this week, Janet Yellen, US Secretary of the Treasury, indicated that she had "difficult conversations" about Ukraine during her four-day visit to China.

Media reports indicated that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in communications with his counterparts in the EU and NATO, stated that China was assisting Russia "at a concerning scale," providing tools and technology.

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