Xi Jinping moves to cement China-Germany ties in first phone call with Olaf Scholz
- After wasting no time in congratulating the new German leader, Chinese president stresses partnership in initial conversation
- Xi also urged the chancellor to ‘play an active role’ in stabilising Beijing’s relationship with the European Union
China and Germany should continue to see each other as partners, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the new German chancellor Olaf Scholz in their first phone call, amid heightened tensions between Beijing and the EU.
Hailing Chinese relations with Germany as the “bellwether” in navigating China’s overall cooperation with Europe, Xi also on Tuesday urged Berlin to “play an active role in stabilising the relationship between China and the European Union”, according to state news agency Xinhua.
“China and Europe are two independent and autonomous global powers with broad strategic consensus and common interests,” Xi said in his first phone conversation with Scholz since the latter took over from Angela Merkel two weeks ago.
“Both sides should adhere to the positioning of a comprehensive strategic partnership … to ensure the healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations at all times,” he added.
Xi reminded Scholz that China had been Germany’s largest trading partner in each of the past five years, and the two countries significantly benefited from each other’s economic development. He added the two sides could work together in emerging areas, including new energy and the green and digital economies.
Without naming the US, Xi said China and Germany should further their collaboration in international affairs, including the fight against the pandemic, a fair distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, as well as post-pandemic economic recovery, climate change and poverty alleviation.
“We should insist on resolving regional hotspots through dialogue, follow and … resolutely oppose all forms of hegemonic practices and Cold War mentality,” Xi said.
According to the Chinese readout, Scholz responded by saying Germany would continue its cooperation with China on trade, climate change and close communications including on Afghanistan and the Iran nuclear deal.
Scholz also told Xi his country would seek to promote EU-China relations “in a constructive manner” and also expressed his hope of “an early implementation” of the EU-China investment deal.
The investment deal has been effectively killed by the European Parliament because of Beijing’s sanctioning of officials which plunged bilateral ties to arguably their lowest point in three decades.
The conversation took place at a time of continuing deterioration in relations between China and the EU, stemming from an exchange of sanctions between the two sides over human rights in Xinjiang.
On Monday, UN foreign policy chief Josep Borrell joined foreign ministers from the Group of Seven major economies to issue a statement about their “grave concern” over the outcome of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council elections.
Earlier, the South China Morning Post reported that the annual China-EU summit, initially planned to be held by the end of this year, was likely to be delayed until January because of disagreements over human rights, economics and trade.
Meanwhile, tensions are growing between China and Lithuania after the self-ruled island of Taiwan – which Beijing regards as part of its territory – opened a de facto embassy in Vilnius.
Beijing downgraded its diplomatic ties with Lithuania and last week Vilnius said it had closed its embassy in Beijing and pulled all its diplomats out of China, adding pressure to the EU’s consideration of whether to take a stronger position on China.
Beijing has been increasingly anxious about a possible shift in Berlin from former chancellor Angela Merkel’s pro-engagement policy towards Beijing, which could bring Europe’s largest economy closer to the US, now locked in a strategic rivalry with China.
In a reflection of Beijing’s eagerness to establish contact with the new German leader, Xi sent a congratulatory message to Scholz less than 10 minutes after his position was confirmed.
In stark contrast, it was more than two weeks after US President Joe Biden took office before he received a note from Xi, long after his counterparts in Germany and Britain acknowledged his ascension to power.