Rarely in recent years has a routine inaugural trip of a head of government been watched with such keen interest at home and abroad. When Germany’s Social Democrat chancellor, Olaf Scholz, travels to Beijing for a one-day visit on November 3rd, he will be the first Western leader to do so since the start of the covid-19 pandemic. Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, was keen to travel together with Mr Scholz, though preferably not right after the country’s paramount leader, Xi Jinping, got himself anointed as president for life. Mr Scholz said nein. He is instead bringing along 12 CEOs of German blue-chip firms, including the
→ Continue reading at The Economist
