Chinese premier Li Keqiang arrived in Berlin with his entire cabinet in tow, in a high-profile display of bilateral harmony that contrasts sharply with Beijing’s much more rocky relationships with the US and the UK.
Sino-German relations are a far cry from Angela Merkel’s early days in power when, in 2007, the chancellor prompted Beijing’s wrath by receiving the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader. After her diplomats calmed the situation by concentrating on the two country’s growing economic ties, Ms Merkel has focused almost entirely on business issues, with German government criticism of China’s human rights record raised only in private.
Ms Merkel also hopes that Mr Li can help mediate with Russian president Vladimir Putin over the crisis in Ukraine, in an unusual departure for a country that normally shies away from shuttle diplomacy. The second stop on the Chinese premier’s European tour will be Moscow.