April 15, 2024

China was Germany's most important trading partner for the eighth year in a row in 2023, according to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, and this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the all-round strategic partnership between the countries. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz embarked on a three-day visit to China on Sunday at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Scholz is being accompanied by senior representatives of a number of renowned German companies, including Siemens, Bayer, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Zeiss.

"His visit aims to strike a balance in Germany's China policy. Companies, especially the big ones, are actually against de-risking or decoupling from China and believe China is one of the most reliable trade partners and economic partners, although they are also worried about the negative impact of geopolitical tensions and the United States' demonization of China," Zhou Hong, deputy chair of the Academic Division for International Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told CGTN when talking about the business delegation.

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