Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. (Kay Nietfeld/Pool Photo via AP)
Olaf Scholz, Xi Jinping
BEIJING (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Beijing for a one-day visit that has drawn criticism over China’s tacit support for Russia in its war on Ukraine. Scholz’s visit Friday, however, also reflects the importance of Germany’s trade ties with the world’s second-largest economy. Scholz, who is traveling with several top German business leaders, received a formal welcome from Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was recently re-appointed head of the ruling Communist Party, at the Great Hall of the People. In his opening remarks, Scholz referred directly to the Russian war that has created millions of refugees and upended world food and energy markets, saying, “We come together at a time of great tension,” according to German news agency DPA.
