German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will host Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang on Tuesday for delicate talks as Germany rethinks its China policy without severing ties with its first trading partner.

A Chinese official, appointed as prime minister in March, chose Germany as the destination for his first official visit abroad, which began Monday with a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

On Monday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier raised his tone during talks with a Chinese official, stressing that cooperation between the two countries “remains important but has changed in recent years,” according to a tweet from his press secretary, Serstein Gamelin.

On Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will hold Sino-German government talks with top ministers responsible for cooperation between the two countries.

“China sees Germany as the most important party in Europe, and as relations with the US continue to deteriorate, it is in Beijing’s interest to show that it has a constructive relationship with the biggest player in Europe,” said Torsten Boehner, director of the International Public Policy Institute.

“The question remains whether the Germans will continue to play this game, claiming that there is a broad consensus with Beijing,” or whether they “choose a new path and speak frankly, while the final declaration is limited to areas where there is an actual opportunity for cooperation,” Boner added.

These bilateral talks, which until the end of 2021 were almost business as usual under Angela Merkel, are taking on a new dimension as Schultz seeks to move away from the former chancellor’s pragmatic approach, which focused mainly on trade.

Reducing reliance on China

At the economic level, Berlin is counting on the diversification of its partners in order to “reduce the risks” associated with its over-reliance on the Asian giant in strategic sectors.

Deepening rift between Berlin and Beijing

At the diplomatic level, Chinese threats to Taiwan, Beijing’s accusations of persecuting the Uyghur minority, and President Xi Jinping’s failure to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have deepened the rift between Berlin and Beijing.