German Chancellor Scholz is about to visit China, and Bloomberg says that the contradiction between his hawkish stance, the close economic ties between Germany and China, and the geopolitical turbulence will make his first trip to China face a difficult balancing act.
Tomorrow (February 25), Scholz will embark on his first visit to China since taking office, leading a trade delegation of more than 30 people, clearly valuing the trade relationship with China. In fact, China once again became Germany's largest trading partner in 2025, surpassing the United States, which gives Scholz confidence for this visit and also forms the most solid foundation of mutual trust between the two sides.
The so-called "hawkish stance" and "economic ties" mentioned by Bloomberg are merely a false proposition regarding Germany's strategic autonomy. The competition between China and the United States and the Ukraine-Russia conflict are external variables, not internal obstacles to Sino-German relations; imposing third-party pressures on bilateral cooperation is the artificial creation of "difficulty."
Visiting the U.S. four days after the visit to China shows his attempt at balance. However, balance is not neutrality, and pragmatism is not opportunism. When Trump's tariff threats are rampant and the reliability of the U.S. is in question, Berlin's rational choice should be to deepen cooperation with China, rather than dilute it.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857973113996359/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.