Scholz will use trip to press Beijing on opening markets and human rights (updated)

Elmos Semiconductor SE

28/10/2022 11:41

(Adds quotes, details, background)
       BEIJING, Oct 28 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf
Scholz will press China to open up its markets and will raise
human rights concerns next week in what will be the first visit
by a European Union leader to China since the start of the
COVID-19 pandemic, Berlin said on Friday.
    Scholz will visit on Nov. 4 at a time of growing concern in
the West about China's trade practices and human rights record,
as well as anxiety over Germany's reliance on the world's
second-largest economy. 
    It also comes amid a festering row within Scholz's three-way
coalition over whether to approve Chinese investment in a
terminal at Hamburg, Germany's largest port, which Scholz is
pushing through despite the security concerns of his ministers.
    The German government's spokesperson told a briefing on
Friday that Berlin's view of Beijing had changed but it was
against "decoupling" from the Chinese economy and wanted Beijing
to show reciprocity in trade relations.
    Germany would discuss "autocratic" tendencies in China, and
human rights, "but also a whole range of other questions, about
reciprocity, as in the opening of Chinese markets for European
and other companies", the spokesperson said. 
    The German government wanted to meet non-governmental
organisations during the visit but it was not clear if that will
be possible, the spokesperson added. 
    Scholz is visiting China at the invitation of Chinese
Premier Li Keqiang, China's foreign ministry said in a brief
statement confirming the trip. 
    China has been Germany's biggest trading partner for the
past six years, with volumes reaching more than 245 billion
euros ($244 billion) in 2021.
    Scholz will be accompanied on his one-day visit by a
delegation of business leaders. The chief executives of
Volkswagen  VOWG_p.DE  and BASF  BASFn.DE  have confirmed that
they will be among those joining the chancellor.
    The German leader has faced criticism ahead of the trip for
pushing through a cabinet decision to allow China's Cosco to
invest in a terminal at Hamburg. This came despite strong
pushback from his coalition partners amid concerns over Chinese
influence over critical infrastructure.
    Berlin is also still examining the potential Chinese
takeover of the chip production of Dortmund-based company Elmos
 ELGG.DE , the German spokesperson said.
    The spokesperson declined to confirm a German media report
that Germany's domestic intelligence agency had warned against
approving the investment.
    ($1 = 1.0054 euros)
 (Reporting by Beijing newsroom, with Matthias Williams and
Andreas Rinke; Writing by Rachel More and Matthias Williams;
Editing by Alex Richardson and David Holmes)