China And IRA In Focus For Biden-Scholz White House Meeting On March 3

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has confirmed that President Biden will welcome German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House on March 3.

• Jean-Pierre said: "The Chancellor’s visit is an opportunity to reaffirm the deep bonds of friendship..."
• Jean-Pierre said the leaders will discuss "a range of regional and global security issues," including working together on "shared challenges posed by China."
• As was the case with French President Emmanuel Macron's State Visit on November 30, the meeting is likely to be overshadowed by the dispute over the US Inflation Reduction Act and Biden and Scholz's divergent positions on decoupling the economic links with China.
• Scholz was critised domestically and internationally for leading a German delegation on commercial junket to China in November.
• FP wrote of that trip: "Scholz’s Germany-first approach has confused his coalition government’s development of China policy and alienated partners in Europe and beyond."
• CSIS: "There is no doubt that Scholz made mistakes in designing and marketing the trip. The chancellor traveled with a delegation of business leaders in tow, drawing awkward parallels with the business-first paradigm pursued by former chancellor Angela Merkel."