Sanctioned German China expert visits Beijing in sign of easing restrictions
Development comes on the eve of a high-stakes EU-China summit, an event that has been mired in negativity
The head of a German think tank sanctioned by Beijing four years ago has returned from a trip to China, suggesting that travel restrictions on the organisation may be easing.
Mikko Huotari, the executive director of the Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics) was in Beijing from July 14 to 17, after being invited by a leading Chinese think tank.
“We welcome the easing of travel restrictions and hope that more engagement between researchers and think tankers will be possible in the future. We look forward to future opportunities to engage with our Chinese counterparts whether in China, at Merics or elsewhere in Europe,” Merics said in a statement.
As part of one of Europe’s largest China-focused think tanks, Merics researchers have been unable to travel to China for four years and EU leaders and officials have repeatedly called on Beijing to remove the sanctions.