Eight CEOs of big German companies who accompanied Chancellor Olaf Scholz to China on Nov. 4, issued a joint statement, which appeared in today’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. They defend their cooperation with the Chinese as being in Germany’s genuine interest; while a pullout, as demanded by adversaries, would “cut us off” from industrial development perspectives.
It opens with an acknowledgement: “The intensity of the public discussion surrounding Chancellor Scholz’s trip to China has shown how important the shaping of German-Chinese relations is for Germany. This exchange is good, because it ensures that a broad spectrum of views will flow into the creation of the German government’s new China strategy.” However:
“This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and China. During this time, bilateral relations have been characterized by ever closer cooperation between the two countries, to their mutual benefit. China has achieved enormous growth, brought 800 million people out of poverty into a modern middle class, and is now the world’s second largest economy.”
