German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a controversial visit to China on November 4, 2022. This visit is of symbolic importance as it is the first visit of a European leader to Beijing after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CCP), in which Chinese President Xi Jinping was elected for a third term.
A delegation of German business people accompanied Scholz’s visit. This situation was interpreted as Germany’s continuing economic cooperation with China. Considering that Germany has a liberal economy and companies in the country want to get out of the economic recession, it can be said that Berlin wishes to deepen its economic relations with Beijing. However, Scholz’s insistence on developing trade relations with China caused reactions from both the government he led and the opposition.
For example, Germany’s sale of 25% of the container terminal at the Port of Hamburg to COSCO, which is owned by the Chinese state, on October 20, 2022, has led to discussions between the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Green Party, which make up the German Government. Minister of Economy Robert Habeck and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who are members of the Green Party, opposed Prime Minister Scholz’s desire to realize the sale.
As it will be remembered, Baerbock underlined on October 18, 2022, that the country’s economic relationship with Russia caused problems after the Ukraine War and stated that the same mistakes should not be repeated in relations with China by drawing lessons from this.[1] In addition, in the statements he made during his visit to Uzbekistan on November 2, 2022, Baerbock stated that Scholz made the decision to visit China himself and stated that he expected Scholz to convey the messages of the German Government to Xi Jinping.[2]
On the other hand, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also warned against being overly dependent on China. In his statement on the subject, Steinmeier said:[3]
“We have to learn lessons and learning the lesson means we have to reduce unilateral dependencies wherever possible, and that applies to China in particular.”
The statements in question indicate that there is no consensus within the state regarding the steps taken by Scholz about China. Moreover, Scholz’s policy is not welcomed by Brussels. Because while the European Union (EU) criticizes Beijing on issues such as human rights and trade; It aims to get rid of economic dependency in relations with China. Because the Union does not want to face a similar negative process in the energy field due to Russia, being dependent on China is not a wanted outcome as well. In short, the example of Russia has been a bitter experience for the EU. Therefore, Brussels is very sensitive in its economic cooperation with China and states that it is necessary to act strategically.
Pointing out that tensions with China increased after the meeting with the EU leaders on October 21, 2022, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “Obviously, we have to be very cautious when it comes to dependencies. We learned our lesson.”[4] This shows the EU’s approach to China. In addition, Thierry Breton, the member of the EU Commission responsible for the internal market, called on European governments not to be “naïve” about economic cooperation with China before Scholz visited Beijing.[5]
It is seen that France is also disturbed by these developments. Because the Paris administration argues that cooperation with China goes against the interests of the EU. As a matter of fact, on October 21, 2022, French President Emanuel Macron said, “We have made strategic mistakes in the past with the sale of infrastructure to China.”[6] He clearly showed his perspective. Therefore, its attitude of France indicates that the issue China has added to the conflict with Germany in the field of energy.
Despite all this, Scholz, who explained Berlin’s new China policy before he visited Beijing, emphasized that new power centers have emerged in the multipolar world and emphasized that they aim to establish partnerships and expand their cooperation.
To summarize, the Beijing visit of German Chancellor Scholz, at a time when EU-China relations were not very good, brought along some disagreements both within the country and the EU. Despite France’s opposition to the EU-China cooperation issue, Germany’s tendency to improve its relations with China may cause the cracks in the union to deepen. Because Berlin adopts such a policy despite the reaction of the EU, “Is Germany implementing a policy independent of the EU?” raises the question.
However, Scholz’s failure to take a step back despite the reaction from both German domestic politics and the EU regarding his visit to China may cause problems with his coalition partners. At the same time, due to Beijing’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine War, the EU’s spirit of mutual solidarity may also be negatively affected by this process.
On the other hand, China may see Scholz’s visit as an opportunity to deepen its cooperation with Europe. Xi Jinping can also use it as a move against the United States, where he has a “trade war.”[7] However, Scholz argues that it would be a wrong approach to sever economic ties in competition with China. Despite this, it cannot be said that the EU is too intent on allowing China to increase its influence in the region.
[1] “German Foreign Minister Urges Caution in China Relationship”, ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/german-foreign-minister-urges-caution-china-relationship-91665504, (Date of Accession: 03.11.2022).
[2] “Germany’s Baerbock Warns Scholz Ahead of His China Trip”, Politico, https://www.politico.eu/article/germanys-baerbock-warns-scholz-ahead-of-his-china-trip/, (Date of Accession: 04.11.2022).
[3] “Germany Finds Compromise Over Chinese Hamburg Terminal Deal”, ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/germany-finds-compromise-chinese-stake-hamburg-port-92106238, (Date of Accession: 03.11.2022).
[4] “EU Witnessing Acceleration of Tensions with China: Von Der Leyen”, TVP World, https://tvpworld.com/64078361/eu-witnessing-acceleration-of-tensions-with-china-von-der-leyen, (Date of Accession: 03.11.2022).
[5] “Thierry Breton Issues China Warning Ahead of Scholz’s Beijing Visit”, Euractiv, https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/thierry-breton-issues-china-warning-ahead-of-scholzs-beijing-visit/, (Date of Accession: 03.11.2022).
[6] “France’s Macron: Sale of European Strategic İnfrastructure to China Was an Error”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/frances-macron-sale-european-strategic-infrastructure-china-was-an-error-2022-10-21/, (Date of Accession: 03.11.2022).
[7] “China-Germany Cooperation Can Be a Stable Link in Turbulent World”, Global Times, https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202210/1277837.shtml, (Date of Accession: 03.11.2022).
