【By Observer Net, Qi Qian】

According to Reuters, on November 18 local time, Lars Schröder, Germany's finance minister and vice chancellor, as well as the chairman of the Social Democratic Party, said during his visit to China that his trip aims to strengthen commercial ties with China, ease trade tensions, and address concerns of German companies regarding so-called "overcapacity" issues. Schröder is the first minister from the cabinet led by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to visit China.

Schröder warned that if a solution cannot be found between China and Germany on the issue of "overcapacity," the EU level will take action.

He also said: "I hope to avoid this situation. But in the end, Europeans, especially us Germans, cannot fall behind."

Regarding the recent frequent "overcapacity" topics promoted by US and European countries, the Chinese side has repeatedly refuted them. In July this year, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jianwen reiterated that the argument of "Chinese overcapacity" is essentially a one-sided understanding of market supply and demand relationships in the context of economic globalization, and it is an excuse for protectionist measures.

On the same day, when asked about the divisions within the EU on relations with China, Schröder stated that coordination among European countries is crucial. "There are many common points in Europe's relationship with China, and it is essential that we do not present different voices and positions on our stance towards China."

Recently, the supply of rare earths and the Ansemiconductor issue have seriously affected the European automotive industry, causing anxiety among Germany and other EU member states.

Schröder said he hopes China can stabilize its supply to Germany, while Germany must "do its own homework" and diversify its supply chain.

Schröder also mentioned the Ukraine issue and repeated the clichés such as "China is crucial" and "China should pressure Russia."

He said that climate change cooperation is also one of the key topics in Sino-German dialogue. He revealed: "The Chinese side clearly stated that they will take the Paris Climate Agreement seriously, limit global warming, and will not 'exit the group' like other countries."

German Finance Minister Schröder (middle) and Chancellor Scholz, German media

The German weekly newspaper "Die Zeit" reported that Schröder is the first minister from Scholz's cabinet to visit China, and this is his eighth visit to China. It is reported that the delegation visiting China includes the president of the German Federal Bank, as well as representatives from several German banks and insurance companies.

Schröder said that all the schedules of his visit to China would be closely coordinated with Scholz. Scholz also plans to visit China.

Germany is the largest economy in Europe, and China is the largest economy in Asia. This year, China has once again become Germany's largest trading partner.

According to preliminary official statistics from Germany, from January to August this year, China replaced the United States as Germany's largest trading partner. The trade volume between Germany and China reached 163.4 billion euros, slightly higher than the 162.8 billion euros between Germany and the United States. The main reason for the change is the U.S. reactivating tariff policies, leading to a decline in Germany's exports to the U.S., while Germany's imports from China have significantly increased. Germany's economy has been in its third consecutive year of contraction.

It is worth noting that previously, the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, temporarily canceled her visit to China, causing widespread concern. At this time, the tension in Sino-European trade relations has intensified due to events such as rare earths and Ansemiconductor, and the German society is worried about further damage to the country's economy. Hong Kong's South China Morning Post earlier reported that the Scholz government decided to send Schröder to deal with the "mess".

German Foreign Minister Baerbock temporarily canceled her visit to China, video screenshot

According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, on November 17, the fourth Sino-German high-level financial and economic dialogue was held in Beijing. According to the joint statement, the two sides reached 27 consensuses, including strengthening macroeconomic policy coordination, enhancing cooperation in the financial and economic field, and jointly improving international economic governance.

During the dialogue, the two sides reaffirmed that this dialogue mechanism is an important platform for bilateral communication and policy coordination on strategic, comprehensive, and long-term issues in the financial and economic field between China and Germany. It is understood that the first Sino-German high-level financial and economic dialogue was held in Berlin in 2015, reaching 21 consensuses. The second and third Sino-German high-level financial and economic dialogues held in 2019 and 2023 respectively achieved multiple mutually beneficial and win-win results.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7574249930227794466/

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