Scholz’s China visit underlines Europe’s independence from US policy

For Olaf Scholz’s critics, his decision to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing was an act of folly that would make Germany look weak, expose European divisions and encourage China to take an aggressive approach to Taiwan. But Scholz defied expectations by addressing all the most difficult issues in his talks with Xi, who issued his clearest warning yet to Vladimir Putin over nuclear threats against Ukraine.

The German chancellor raised the treatment of China’s Uyghur minority in Xinjiang, insisting that talking about human rights was not interfering in China’s internal affairs. He told Xi that Beijing’s sanctions against European politicians was unacceptable, called for better protection of intellectual property and warned against the use of force to reunify Taiwan with mainland China.

Xi’s explicit warning against the use of a nuclear weapon in Europe was the most important prize Scholz won in Beijing and it confounded the German chancellor’s detractors. But the Chinese readout of the meeting suggests that their discussion of Ukraine went deeper, with Xi urging Germany and the European Union to play a central role in facilitating peace talks.

“The international community should: support all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis and call on relevant parties to remain rational and exercise restraint, start direct engagement as quickly as possible, and create conditions for the resumption of talks; oppose the threat or use of nuclear weapons, advocate that nuclear weapons cannot be used and that nuclear wars must not be fought, and prevent a nuclear crisis in Eurasia,” the Chinese readout said.

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Scholz’s visit was in itself an expression of European independence from the Biden administration’s policy towards China, which has shifted the diplomatic goalposts on Taiwan and flirted with economic decoupling. Xi stressed the importance of China’s relationship with Europe and its independence from Washington’s influence.

“China always regards Europe as a comprehensive strategic partner. It supports the strategic autonomy of the European Union and wishes Europe stability and prosperity. China maintains that its relations with Europe are not targeted at, dependent on, or subjected to a third party,” the Chinese readout said.

Scholz was accompanied by a group of German chief executives and Xi agreed to allow BioNTech to enter the Chinese market with its mRNA Covid vaccine, although it will initially only be available to foreign residents. But the importance of Scholz’s visit has less to do with bottom line for German business than with the return it represents of high-level engagement between Europe and China.