Nov. 4 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday became the first G7 leader to visit China and meet with its President Xi Jinping since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the leaders sought a "win-win cooperation" between their two economies.
Germany has the largest economy in Europe and China has the second-largest economy in the world behind the United States. Xi said that China seeks "mutual respect" while "reserving differences" in keeping their relationship strong.
Scholz arrived in China with 12 German industry leaders, including the CEOs of Volkswagen, Deutsche Bank, Siemens and BASF. Those meetings with Chinese companies are expected to happen privately.
The trip to China brought a cool reception from the United States and other European Union members, who often see China's economic efforts as running counter to the West. France's Emmanuel Macron went as far as to warn Scholz he risked becoming isolated with the China visit.
For example, while the United States and the European Union have supported Ukraine during the Russian invasion of that company along with heavily sanctioning Moscow, China at the same time said its relationship with the Kremlin has "no limits."
In a Politico op-ed before the trip, Scholz defended the visit saying that China was too important of economic power to isolate and his trip ensures that the communication lines between them remain open and productive.
