Scholz heads to Beijing amid pressure to take tougher line on China
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz travels to Beijing this week in what is fast becoming a controversial trip, amid pressure both domestically and from within the EU to take a tougher line against China.
Scholz is the first Western leader to visit the Asian country since the COVID-19 pandemic began and will go with a delegation of German business leaders.
But many have questioned his intentions behind the trip, arguing he is prioritising economic ties at a time when the EU is looking to reduce its dependency on countries like China and Russia.
Strong trade links already exist between Beijing and Berlin, with China being its second-largest export destination.
As a result, the idea of decoupling from China, like what is happening with Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine, is a virtual non-starter for a lot of German businesses, with so many heavily invested in the country.
Pressure is growing though from within Scholz's own governing coalition to deliver a tougher message to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
A new China strategy is also being devised in Berlin, which Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, says needs to be more assertive.
In an interview with the newspaper Der Spiegel, she said this must be made clear to the Chinese leadership.
“We clearly stated in the coalition agreement that China is our partner on global issues and that we cannot decouple in our globalised world, but also that China is a competitor and increasingly a systemic rival,” Baerbock said.
“It is crucial to now make clear in China the messages that we laid down together in the coalition agreement."
Samuel Cogolati, an MP in the Belgian parliament - who was sanctioned last year by Beijing - has questioned the timing of the trip.
"It is wrong for two
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