German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit to China sparks controversy

Reinhard Butikofer of the Green Party, which is part of the governing coalition, said in Taiwan that Olaf Scholz’s one-day trip is “probably the most controversially debated visit in the country for the last 50 years.”

The timing of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's imminent trip to China and what signals he will give to Beijing have raised questions at home, a German member of the European Parliament said on November 3.

Reinhard Butikofer of the Green Party, which is part of the governing coalition, said in Taiwan that Mr. Scholz’s one-day trip is “probably the most controversially debated visit in the country for the last 50 years.”

Mr. Scholz, who will visit Beijing on November 4, will be the first European leader to visit China since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Germany has strongly opposed. Beijing has provided Moscow with diplomatic backing, accused the U.S. and NATO of provoking the attack and scathingly criticised punishing economic sanctions imposed on Russia.

Some in the ranks of Mr. Scholz's three-party governing coalition have questioned at least the timing of his visit. His trips to Ukraine and Russia in February also stirred controversy.

Mr. Butikofer, part of a group of European lawmakers visiting Taiwan, spoke to a joint news conference from his hotel room, where he was under quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.

“Just as in other European countries and the European Union, all together China policy will be in transformation in transition for some time," Mr. Butikofer said. “We cannot return to the China policy of yesterday here, because the realities have changed."

Mr. Scholz's visit also comes as Chinese investment in a container terminal at the Hamburg port has raised concerns in Washington and elsewhere that China is gaining a major grip on key infrastructure in an allied nation.