Former German Chancellor Schröder attended a forum in China — Der Spiegel
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder attended a forum on global governance in the Chinese city of Xiong'an. Der Spiegel reported this, citing the dpa agency.
According to the publication, Schröder entered the hall during the opening ceremony together with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other honorary guests. The former head of the German government sat in the front row, while his wife, Soyeon Schröder-Kim, sat one row behind him. Schröder did not deliver a speech at the opening.
Forum on global governance
The Global Governance Forum is linked to the Global Governance Initiative, which Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a year earlier. China and the Russian Federation — an aggressor state — have long advocated reforming the world order toward a multilateral global order.
As Der Spiegel notes, the vaguely formulated goals of the initiative include expanding the multilateral approach and, in the view of its supporters, achieving a fairer balance of power in the world. China seeks to influence the shaping of a world order in which Beijing sees unfair dominance, primarily by the United States.
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Xi Jinping was not present in Xiong'an and conveyed a greeting message to forum participants through Wang Yi. The Chinese minister said that many view the initiative as a way to improve the current international system. He also spoke about the strengthening of unilateral policies, without naming specific states.
Criticism over ties with putin
The trip to China came after reports of Schröder's possible visit to Moscow. This trip prompted criticism in Germany's Social Democratic Party, where calls were again made to begin proceedings to expel the former chancellor from the party.
Schröder headed the German government from 1998 to 2005. He maintains close personal ties with putin and was affiliated with Russian energy companies. Der Spiegel notes that after the start of Russia's attack on Ukraine, Schröder met with putin repeatedly.
