With Olaf Scholz’s Delhi Visit, Germany To Bet On India As Ties With China Sour
Germany is trying to cultivate India as a source of trade and geopolitical support as its deteriorating relations with China cast a pall over the country’s economic future. Chancellor Olaf Scholz embarks on a three-day visit to India Thursday accompanied by a large delegation of ministers and executives as he seeks to forge a strategic partnership with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders will meet on Friday morning and chair a joint cabinet meeting. The trip comes at a crucial time for Scholz who is struggling to revive the German economy which has been buffeted by the war in Ukraine and competition from China. PM Modi will have just returned from the BRICS summit in Russia where he embraced President Vladimir Putin. India also just signed a border deal with China to ease tensions with its neighbor after a four-year standoff. Here are the main issues to watch: Submarine Contract India is planning to order six new submarines as part of its strategy to counter China’s expanding naval presence in the Indo-Pacific region and Germany’s …
