Annual trade between China and Germany stands at around $240B

Berlin, The Gulf Observer: Trade, business and bilateral ties are topping the agenda on a whistle-stop trip to Beijing for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Annual trade between China and Germany stands at around $240B, and accompanying the German leader is a cadre of CEOs and representatives of his country’s blue-chip business elite.

There are plenty of places for a day trip from Berlin. Beijing probably isn’t the first that springs to mind (this Correspondent would recommend Sanssouci Palace near Potsdam if you get the chance – well worth your time), but it’s not for a little getaway that Scholz is heading to China for a quick visit on Friday.

He’s going there because, with unseasonably bright sunshine in Berlin this week, the figurative dark clouds of recession are on the horizon here in Germany. The hope is that trade can once again be the saviour.