应国务院总理李强邀请，德国总理朔尔茨4月14日至16日对中国进行正式访问，并在16日于北京会见了中国国家主席习近平。这是朔尔茨自2021年12月就任德国总理以来第二次访问中国。朔尔茨对中国的访问不仅反应了德国的战略和优先事项，而且还可以作为一个透镜，反映出当前欧盟-中国关系的状态和发展方向。1、虽然德国在去年出台了“中国战略”意图减少风险，降低对中国的依赖。但是德国反复强调将不会与中国“脱钩”。此次访华代表德国有意和中国加强贸易关系，虽然中德关系具有高度的特殊性，但德国可以在欧盟内发挥一定的引领作用，影响欧盟对华政策。Much has changed since Scholz’s last visit to Beijing. Last year, Berlin unveiled its first ever “Strategy on China” aimed at reducing dependence on the Chinese market in critical areas and bringing Germany into line with the EU’s push for “de-risking” from the Asian superpower. And yet, Scholz is traveling with a group of industrial executives, signaling Berlin's intention to maintain business ties.Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, a former political adviser in the European Parliament and an assistant professor at Taiwan’s National Dong Hwa University, said the change in Germany’s language on China “doesn’t seem to materialize in reality.”(April 13, 2024, “Germany-China talks: Chancellor Olaf Scholz's juggling act”, Deutsche Welle)2、随行团中有大量企业代表，朔尔茨努力争取德国企业利益，在欧洲与中国之间竞争关系日益紧张的情况下，推动改善中国市场准入条件，强调公平竞争。Scholz has been traveling with top executives from Germany as he seeks to strike a balance in relations with China. German companies have been pressing for what they characterise as fairer access to the Chinese market. Europe has been worried about a glut of Chinese goods flooding the European market.Scholz’ visit comes after Berlin drew up a China strategy last year that aims to reduce economic exposure to the Asian powerhouse. The strategy has been vague on specific measures or binding targets, but Scholz has already raised the issue of fair competition while speaking with students at Tongji University in Shanghai on Monday.(April 16, 2024, “Why is Scholz in China?”, Deutsche Welle)It appears that Germany, despite hesitancy on the competition front, is still keen to maintain trade operations with China. During his visit, Scholz notably pushed for more market access on behalf of German companies in the Asian nation.(April 19, 2024, “Scholz’s visit to China: Balancing distance and diplomacy”, Euronews)German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing on Sunday, the first leg of a three-day visit taking place amid growing tensions between Europe and Beijing over claims of unfair competition. Scholz is accompanied by a large business delegation and is hoping to use the trip to shore up economic relations.(April 14, 2024, “German Chancellor Olaf Scholz begins China visit amid mounting European concerns over unfair competition”, South China Morning Post)
二、双方强调要避免经济保护主义，并积极开展新领域的合作1、避免贸易保护主义将为全球经济发展带来积极影响。虽然欧盟担心大量中国产品进入欧洲占领其市场，但事实上来自中国的物美价廉的电动汽车、锂电池和太阳能产品对欧洲绿色发展有积极作用。“Despite tremendous changes in the international landscape, China-Germany relations have maintained steady growth and bilateral cooperation has strengthened and deepened across the board.” The Chinese leader also warned against economic protectionism and said both economies, and the rest of the world, could only benefit from their cooperation. “As China and Germany are respectively the second and third-largest economies in the world, the consolidation and development of their relations carries significance that goes beyond the bilateral scope and has a major impact on the Eurasian continent and the entire world.”(April 16, 2024, “China releases handout of Scholz-Xi meeting”, Deutsche Welle）The EU’s protectionist tendencies have also been criticised by those who underline the importance of cheap, clean technology to the EU’s climate ambitions. “China’s export of electric vehicles, lithium batteries and solar products have enriched supplies to the global market and eased inflationary pressure, as well as made a great contribution for global efforts to tackle climate change and green transition,” Xi told Scholz this week, according to Chinese state television.(April 19, 2024, “Scholz’s visit to China: Balancing distance and diplomacy”, Euronews）2、虽然中国和欧洲在某些领域处于竞争关系，但是这并不妨碍中国和德国在互联和自动交通领域推进敏感技术标准化方面的合作。Beijing’s aim is to increase the empowerment of businesses, so that they, rather than national governments, make decisions regarding the implementation of the de-risking agenda, which would help reduce the withdrawal of European firms from the Chinese market and the decrease of their investments. Germany’s openness to cooperation in the field of technology is also important to China. The declaration made during the visit regarding dialogue and cooperation in the field of connected and automated mobility suggests that Germany intends to continue its cooperation with China in the standardization of sensitive technology, which could potentially strain relations with the US in the future.(April 17, 2024, “De-risking can wait. Scholz’s visit to China”, Centre of Eastern Studies）There is no need to hide the fact that there is competition in certain industries between China and Germany, which has been a focal point for some US and European media outlets to drive a wedge in China-Germany relations. However, regardless of the true observations from Scholz’s visit, or the choice of German companies to invest in China, one can see that the space and potential for rational and pragmatic cooperation between China and Germany, as well as mutual benefit and win-win situations, should not be underestimated. When facing controversial issues, both sides will have enough wisdom and capability to find solutions.(April 14, 2024,“Scholz's visit once again proves what the mainstream of China-Germany ties is: Global Times editorial”, Global Times）1、两国的经济利益息息相关, 两国在务实合作的仍有巨大潜力，良好的合作对于中德两国将带来双赢的局面。随行企业家相信与中国合作提供的机遇将大于风险。The reason for this is related to the pivotal position of China and Germany as the world’s second- and third-largest economies in the current changing international situation, and also to the public‘s close attention to the impact this visit will have on China-Germany and even China-EU relations. Judging from the “grand” visiting delegation of three federal ministers and many business leaders sent by Germany, as well as the overall itinerary, the importance of China-Germany relations to both sides is beyond doubt. More importantly, through a series of close interactions, China and Germany will once again prove that they are partners who can work together to cope with changes, and that there is still great potential for practical cooperation.(April 14, 2024， “Scholz's visit once again proves what the mainstream of China-Germany ties is: Global Times editorial”, Global Times）Chinese Premier Li Qiang told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that China and Germany should strengthen economic and trade cooperation with both countries agreeing their economic interests are deeply intertwined. Li said that, in talks with Scholz, the pair had a “candid, constructive” exchange on issues including the expectations of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. China and Germany should further bring close economic and trade cooperation to maximize mutual benefits and win-win results, Li said.(April 16, 2024, “Talks with Premier Li Quiang ‘candid, constructive’”, Deutsche Welle）Regardless of political hostilities, it’s clear that Germany and China, both crippled by economic slowdowns, could benefit from a healthy, open trade relationship, at least in the near-term. During his recent trip, Scholz was joined by Germany’s top corporate officials such as Ola Kallenius, chairman of Mercedes-Benz, and Oliver Zipse, chief executive of BMW. Both businessmen have shown their support for strengthening Sino-German economic relations. “We actually see more opportunities than risks.” BMW’s Zipse told the news programme Tagesschau.(April 19, 2024, “Scholz’s visit to China: Balancing distance and diplomacy”, Euronews）
