Letters | Why German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s China trip, despite Western misgivings, was a discreet success

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has shown the same pragmatism as his predecessor, the iconic Angela Merkel, even though they are from rather different political parties. Departing from the herd-like sceptical mentality of many Western countries towards China, Scholz took the initiative to meet the Chinese leadership, despite the Covid-19 restrictions in China and the irrational pressure from others not to go ahead with this trip.

The trip was a discreet success, with Scholz getting a renewed commitment from China to work together on global issues, such as climate change, the announcement of significant deals, including the sale of hundreds of Airbus aircraft and the approval of the use of the BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for foreigners, and a statement by the Chinese leader against the use of nuclear weapons. Moreover, the chancellor did not shy away from Europe’s concern over Taiwan, conveying the message that any resolution to the situation should be of a peaceful nature.

Before the trip, the German government had already approved a Chinese company’s purchase of a non-controlling stake in the operator of a container terminal at Germany’s largest port. The decision was made against a chorus of unfounded general opposition to Chinese port deals related to geopolitical and security concerns.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China recently warned that “ideology is trumping the economy” in China, so it was reassuring to hear President Xi Jinping reaffirming the commitment to further open the country up to business opportunities. There was a time when Europeans leaders raised logical concerns, such as trade protectionism and intellectual property enforcement, and were met with a proactive response from the Chinese government addressing the issues.