How Germany is changing its China strategy

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attracted much criticism, including from his own coalition partners, for visiting Beijing last week to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first European leader to do so since before the pandemic.

But Germany's government put a stop to two Chinese buyouts of companies in the semiconductor or computer chip industry this week, saying that they risked a loss of know-how in a critical sector where Beijing is rapidly expanding its influence.

This follows the partial purchase of a terminal at the Port of Hamburg — Germany's largest — by Chinese company Cosco.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wants to make cooperation with China dependent on the human rights situation there, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Wednesday, citing a draft of a new government China strategy.