This agreement was reached during the state visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Beijing. In an initial response, the organization of German pig farmers reacted moderately positively.
An ISN statement said: 'Even though no definitive breakthrough was achieved regarding German pork exports, the talks were still an important step in the right direction. What is now crucial is that the outstanding issues are addressed intensively at a specialized level and that further steps are implemented quickly, so that German pork exports to China can be released again as soon as possible.'
Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) signed several agreements with the Chinese side on this matter. The import bans on apples and beef had been in effect for many years following a BSE outbreak. After the outbreak of swine fever in Germany in 2020, many countries, including China, stopped importing German pork. Recently, several Asian countries have begun allowing exports again from German federal states not affected by the disease.
Premier Li Qiang stated that China would like to "import more high-quality German products." Scholz explained that a closer exchange was also agreed upon in the areas of sustainable agriculture and the protection and conservation of biodiversity.
In China, Chancellor Olaf Scholz also faced other sensitive issues, such as the war in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the dumping of Chinese products (electric cars, solar panels) on the EU market.