Germany's Scholz to travel to China for meeting with President Xi

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is travelling to China on Saturday for a three-day visit, during which he will meet President Xi Jinping.

In addition to the capital Beijing, Scholz will visit Chongqing and Shanghai, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin on Monday. The chancellor will be accompanied by a business delegation.

Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir, Transport Minister Volker Wissing and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke will also be part of the official party.

This is the German chancellor's second trip to China since taking office in December 2021. His inaugural visit in November 2022 was only a day trip due to the coronavirus pandemic. This time, he is taking three days - more than ever before for a single country on a single trip.

The main topics are likely to include the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the tensions between China and Taiwan and a number of economic issues.

The first stop is Chongqing, which is located on the Yangtze River in central China and is considered the largest city in the world, with around 32 million people living in the greater administrative area. Shanghai in south-east China is regarded as China's most important economic and financial centre.

Scholz plans to visit German companies in both cities. A speech at a university and a discussion with students are also planned in Shanghai. In Beijing, Scholz will meet Chinese President Xi and Premier Li Qiang. The heads of government will also take part in a meeting of the Sino-German Economic Committee.