- After K-pop, K-novels? South Korean Nobel win sparks joy, hope at home
- After Nadal exit, Djokovic left to rage against dying of the light
- A very stiff breeze: BBC says sorry for 20,000 kph wind forecast
- Triple centurion Brook happy to break Dad's club record
- Zelensky touts 'victory plan' against Russia in Macron talks
- Musk finally unveiling his long-promised robotaxi
- UN peacekeepers accuses Israel of firing on Lebanon HQ
- London's Frieze art fair goes potty for ceramics
- Southgate taking year out from coaching
- US, Europe stocks fall on US inflation data
- Zelensky meets Macron in Paris as part of European tour
- Hurricane Milton shreds Florida stadium roof
- UN probe accuses Israel of seeking to 'destroy' Gaza healthcare
- US consumer inflation eases to 2.4% in September
- England in sight of victory after Brook's triple hundred
- Juventus readmitted to ECA after failed Super League revolt
- World number 2 Alcaraz knocked out of Shanghai Masters by Machac
- Leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia meet amid regional tensions
- Klopp's Red Bull decision 'ruined life's work' say Dortmund fans
- Han Kang wins South Korea's first literature Nobel
- S. Korea's Nobel winner Han Kang a modest, thought-provoking writer
- Hurricane Milton tornadoes kill four in Florida amid rescue efforts
- The almost impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open
- New French government faces key test with budget plan
- Rescuers say Israeli strike on Gaza school kills 28
- Italy's ex-world champion gymnast Ferrari announces retirement
- Zelensky talks 'victory plan' in meeting with Starmer, Rutte
- South Korea's Han Kang wins literature Nobel
- Federer lauds retiring Nadal's 'incredible achievements'
- Ikea posts fall in annual sales after lowering prices
- Australia beat China 3-1 to resurrect World Cup campaign
- Stock markets diverge, oil gains after China rebounds
- Nadal defied injury woes in record-breaking career
- Nadal v Djokovic, French Open, 2006: Chapter One in epic rivalry
- World can't 'waste time' trading climate change blame: COP29 hosts
- Pakistan at 23-1 after Brook triple hundred takes England to 823-7
- Zelensky meets Starmer, Rutte on whirlwind tour of Europe
- South Korean same-sex couples make push for marriage equality
- Rafael Nadal calls time on epic tennis career
- Mumbai declares day of mourning for Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- Philippines confronts China over South China Sea at ASEAN meet
- Kim Sei-young shoots 62 to take two-stroke lead at LPGA Shanghai
- The haircuts that help traumatised Ukrainian soldiers heal
- Sinner crushes Medvedev to set up potential Alcaraz Shanghai semi
- 7-Eleven owner restructures to fight takeover
- England's Harry Brook blasts triple century against Pakistan
- Chinese electric car companies cope with European tariffs
- Zelensky in London for whirlwind tour of Europe ahead of US vote
- Sri Lanka recovering faster than expected: World Bank
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as most markets track Wall St record
Germany's Scholz between tough talk and trade on China trip
Chancellor Olaf Scholz travels to China this weekend, walking a fine line in shoring up economic ties with Germany's biggest trading partner at a time when the West is sharpening its tone towards Beijing.
With the economies of both China and Germany currently underperforming on the world stage, Scholz will travel with a bumper delegation of ministers and business executives.
The chancellor will have to balance encouraging words on economic cooperation with the European Union's strident message accusing China of unfair subsidies.
The German leader could also deliver a stern warning to China over its refusal to turn its back on President Vladimir Putin despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
China's President Xi Jinping and Scholz will hold talks in the Chinese capital on Tuesday at the conclusion of the trip, which will first take the chancellor to Chongqing and Shanghai.
The three-day tour is Scholz's second since taking office, the first coming in November 2022 with China still applying strict coronavirus rules.
Around 18 months on, the two major world economies are still struggling.
And the lineup of Scholz's delegation underlines his focus -- Volkswagen, Siemens and Bayer will count among bosses of blue-chip firms on the plane, German media reported.
Three cabinet ministers including transport minister Volker Wissing will also be on the tour.
The extended lineup was "really remarkable" and an indication that the emphasis of the trip would be on business ties, said Max Zenglein, chief economist at the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.
- 'Trade tensions' -
Western policymakers have become more circumspect in their attitude towards Beijing, with concerns that an overreliance on Chinese imports could become a liability.
Washington has moved to limit access for Chinese firms to the US market, while the European Union has taken aim at what it sees as unfair subsidies from Beijing for green technologies.
The European Commission on Tuesday opened a probe into Chinese wind turbine suppliers, following investigations into state aid for solar panels, electric cars and trains.
The EU moves have cranked up trade tensions, with China saying Wednesday it was "highly concerned" by the Commission's "discriminatory measures".
By contrast, Germany has shown a "friendlier face" to Beijing, attempting a "balancing act" in its economic relations with China, Zenglein said.
Scholz himself has characterised his approach as "derisking", urging companies not to "put all your eggs in one basket" and to nurture ties with other trading partners.
German businesses, however, remain highly dependent on the Chinese market, according to the IW economic research institute in Cologne.
In key areas such as chemicals or electronics there had been "no notable structural derisking", IW analyst Juergen Matthes told German financial daily Handelsblatt.
- 'Missed opportunity?' -
But analysts believe that Germany's economic clout gives it leverage over China, as they urged Scholz not to squander the opportunity.
While other countries were less receptive to Beijing's overtures, Germany "might underestimate how valuable of a partner they are for China", Zenglein said.
Failing to recognise its own importance would be "a bit of a missed opportunity" for Germany "in delivering really strong messages to Xi Jinping", Zenglein said.
US officials have repeatedly warned China against providing indirect aid to the Russian war effort.
With Scholz's visit coming on the heels of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's trip to Beijing, the German chancellor could use the occasion to push against further cooperation with Russia.
Beijing has gained more sway over Russia as Moscow has become more internationally isolated after invading Ukraine two years ago.
Ahead of the trip, Scholz's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said it was clear that "China has influence on Russia".
"Our wish would be for China to be able to exercise the influence it has," Hebestreit said.
S.Gregor--AMWN