Ex-German chancellor Schröder appears at China governance forum

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder made a surprise appearance at a forum on global governance in China on Friday, weeks after he stirred controversy by visiting Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin.

Alongside Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Schröder walked into the banquet hall with VIP guests for the forum's opening ceremony in the socialist model city of Xiong'an, taking a seat in the front row.

Schröder's wife, Soyeon Schröder-Kim, sat one row behind her husband. The former chancellor did not deliver a speech at the opening ceremony.

Schröder, a member of Germany's Social Democrats for more than 60 years, drew calls for his expulsion from the party for his trip to Moscow, where the Kremlin said he congratulated Putin on his 74th birthday on October 7.

Schröder served as chancellor from 1998 to 2005. The 82-year-old has long faced criticism for his friendship with Putin and involvement with Russian energy companies. Even since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Schröder has repeatedly met with Putin.

By contrast, little is known about Schröder's travels to China. It was initially unclear who else he would meet. China's state and party leader Xi Jinping was not in Xiong'an and had a welcome message delivered to the guests via his foreign minister.