Scholz របស់​អាល្លឺម៉ង់​ដើរ​យ៉ាង​ប្រយ័ត្នប្រយែង​ក្នុង​ដំណើរ​ទស្សនកិច្ច​នៅ​ប្រទេស​ចិន ខណៈ​លោក Xi ស្វែងរក​ភាពស្របច្បាប់

 Berlin struggles to find right distance with its most important market

BEIJING/MUNSTER, Germany -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing shows how both sides are groping their way toward a relationship while avoiding political land mines like Taiwan and human rights.

"You're the first European leader to visit since the Communist Party congress" in October, Xi told Scholz as they kicked off their meeting Friday.

For Xi, having a Group of Seven leader on hand was a chance to add a sheen of legitimacy to his third term as party leader.

Beijing wants to keep Germany on its side to drive a wedge into American-led efforts to contain China.

The U.S. introduced new restrictions in October on exports of cutting-edge chips, as well as related equipment and talent, to China, and has urged Japan to adopt similar measures. China wants to prevent Germany from joining this campaign.

China also seeks German support for an investment agreement with the European Union, which was reached in principle in 2020 but has since seen little progress. The deal would include protections for Chinese companies in Europe and vice versa.

More than 7,000 German companies operate in China, while around 2,000 Chinese companies operate in Germany. They are the "backbone" of bilateral cooperation, and both governments must create a fair and nondiscriminatory business environment for them, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told Scholz in January.

China considers Germany a vital source of cutting-edge technology. Even when it imposed tough restrictions on international travel at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it granted exceptions to engineers from German manufacturers.

Xi told Scholz on Friday that he would ensure a highly stable, consistent environment for German companies in China, expressing hope for continued technology flows and investment from Germany.

Scholz's trip has drawn heat in Germany and beyond. Critics called on Scholz to cancel his visit over China's treatment of its Uyghur minority.

Scholz, who took office last December, had practical reasons for the timing of his Beijing visit. With the Group of 20 summit coming up this month in Indonesia, accepting Chinese invitation to visit soon after the party congress ensured that he did not fall behind other leaders in exchanges with Xi.

China is the most important market for Germany. It has been Germany's biggest trading partner for six straight years. The Volkswagen group, the largest German automaker, sells around 40% of its new cars there. Executives from Volkswagen, BMW, Adidas and other prominent German companies accompanied Scholz on his trip.

Yet economic ties are not the only consideration. German attitudes toward China have been strained recently over tensions in the Taiwan Strait and human rights. Germany also faces a growing trade deficit with China.

China maintained amicable ties with Germany under the chancellorship of Angela Merkel, who visited even when Washington took a hard line on Beijing during the Trump administration.

"If China strengthens its relations with Germany, the rest of the European Union will follow," said a Beijing-based professor who regularly makes policy recommendations to the Chinese government. The Xi-Scholz meeting will "stop the bleeding" in Chinese ties with Europe, Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao reported Friday.

Scholz chose not to stay overnight in China for his latest trip, instead remaining there for just 11 hours. Germany is expected to compile basic guidelines for its China policy next year.

In a piece for a German newspaper before the trip, Scholz stressed that a direct dialogue is more important now than ever, stressing that he would not shy away from discussing human rights, Taiwan and fair trade.

Scholz has been striving to find a balance between the economic benefits presented by the Chinese market and Western criticisms against Beijing. He chose Japan, not China, for his first trip to Asia after taking office in December. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Japan on Tuesday, and has since departed for South Korea.

Nikkei Asia