Berlin/Tokyo | Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to China on Friday, the first by a Western leader since the start of the pandemic, has been praised by Beijing but has divided Germany as it is forced to confront its economic reliance on an increasingly hostile superpower.

Berlin’s business and political ties with China have been under scrutiny this week as Mr Scholz faces growing pressure to set tougher parameters for Germany’s dealing with its biggest trading partner. Like Australia, the European industrial powerhouse wants to dilute its economic reliance on China.