Old Friends

It is no surprise that Chinese President Jiang Zemin has chosen Germany as his only European stop on his five-nation mission. Thirty years ago, the two countries took up diplomatic relations and entered into a so-called "regular dialog".

In the meantime, Germany has become China's largest trading partner in Europe.

But political dialog also plays an important role. "There is an active exchange at top levels," said Jiang in an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. "The consultations and cooperations on both sides have grown in significant international matters."

Jiang’s six-day visit is aimed at expanding economic, cultural and political contacts between the two countries. Beginning on Tuesday, he will be meeting with German President Johannes Rau, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, as well as representatives of all major political parties.

In Berlin, the two countries are expected to sign deals for educational and cultural cooperation.

Economic matters of central importance

According to Chinese figures, German investment projects in China currently total $13.4 billion. One of China’s most significant business partners is Volkswagen (VW), which founded the first major German automobile joint venture in Shanghai in the 1980s.

Back in 1978, on his first trip to Germany, Jiang also visited VW headquarters in Wolfsburg. He set the course for VW to enter the Chinese market and later, as mayor of Shanghai, pushed through its activities there. Since then, VW has increased its market share in China to more than 50 percent.

Jiang has given China’s relations to VW top priority. On Friday, he will be visiting Wolfsburg to personally extend existing cooperation contracts for a further 20 years to 2030.

Chinese backing at the UN

Jiang said he supports Germany's desire to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. "We welcome that Germany is playing an active role in international affairs," he said.

Germany and Japan, the second and third largest financial contributors to the UN, are both seeking permanent seats on the 15-member body. As "enemy states", they were excluded when the UN was founded on the ashes of World War Two.

Permanent seats went to the victor nations: the United States, the then-Soviet Union, now Russia, Britain, France and China.

Human rights issues

During Jiang’s stay, a bit of tourism is also on the agenda. Jiang and his wife, Wang Yeping, will visit cultural highlights such as Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam and the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden.

But the leader will not be out on the streets shaking hands with the public. This can be attributed to numerous expected protests.

Human rights organizations and followers of the Falun Gong movement have planned demonstrations during Jiang’s visit. Peking is sticking to a hard line on Falun Gong, which China outlawed and declared an evil cult in 1999.

Jiang’s Germany visit is expected to be his last before he steps down as China’s President later this year. His five-nation mission takes him on to Libya, Tunisia, Nigeria and Iran.