Germany’s Solo Trip to Beijing Exposes Europe’s Dilemma on China
Chancellor Scholz brings a high-profile delegation on his first state visit to Beijing and faces a delicate balancing act.
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Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be bringing Germany’s biggest brands to China this week to underscore close economic ties, but he’ll also have to navigate growing concerns about Europe’s broader dependence on Beijing.
The powerhouse delegation — expected to include top executives from BASF SE, Volkswagen AG, Deutsche Bank AG and BioNTech SE — will showcase German success in the world’s second-largest economy. The one-day visit on Friday will also illustrate how much Berlin has to lose as calls grow in Washington, other European capitals and even within Scholz’s own coalition to change course.