Olaf Scholz on controversial visit to China

With 23 hours by plane for less than 12 hours on site, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is on tour in China. He met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, November 4. Germany hopes, with its delegation of industrialists, to win contracts. Berlin does not want a decoupling with China, which is seen as an important trading partner, according to the German chancellor. Olaf Scholz has confirmed his intention to sell part of the Port of Hamburg facilities to a Chinese group, Cosco.

This sale and this visit are very controversial while many European countries want to adopt a much tougher position vis-à-vis Beijing. Emmanuel Macron had even offered Olaf Scholz to make a tandem visit, in order to present a more united European diplomacy, but Berlin refused, explains the journalist from France Télévisions, Arnauld Miguet.