BERLIN: Germany’s president on Monday (Jun 19) urged Beijing and Washington to boost dialogue, as he hosted Premier Li Qiang at a time when China’s policies on Russia, trade and human rights are receiving an increasingly hostile reception in the West.
Li, who was named China’s premier in March, is on a two-nation visit which will also take him to France for a climate financing summit hosted by President Emmanuel Macron.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed the importance of ties between China and the United States for “global security and cooperation”, wrote his spokeswoman Cerstin Gammelin on Twitter.
“He called for the strengthening of communication channels between both countries,” she added, after months of US-China tensions.
Steinmeier also urged Beijing to use its “political weight and influence on Russia to bring about a just peace” in Ukraine, said Gammelin.
Li’s European tour came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was on a high-stakes trip to Beijing, where a glimpse of optimism was seen with President Xi Jinping assessing that “some progress” was made.
In Berlin, Li and his Cabinet will meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his team for so-called government consultations on Tuesday, when he is expected to outline China’s “hopes to deepen and expand its relations” with the European Union heavyweight.
But Germany’s first national security strategy, published days ago, could set the tone at the talks.
The blueprint stridently accused China of acting against German interests, putting international security “under increasing pressure” and disregarding human rights.
At the same time, it underlined the necessity of getting Beijing’s cooperation on global issues like fighting climate change.
Scholz himself had said that the message sent by the document is that “China’s integration into world trade and world economic relations should not be impaired”.
“But at the same time the security issues that arise for us must be taken into account.”
Beijing has bristled at being described as a “partner, competitor and systemic rival” in the text, saying such labels would only “push our world towards a vortex of division and confrontation”.
Source: CNA
