German president warns business leaders of surveillance on China trip

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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier asked thorny questions about new technologies and surveillance on the second day of his state visit to China on Thursday.

Speaking at an event dubbed “Robotation Academy’’ in the Chinese city of Foshan, Steinmeier asked: “Is artificial intelligence making life better and more comfortable, or are we making ourselves superfluous?’’

Steinmeier also discussed the implications of the technology underpinning driverless cars, asking whether the enormous amounts of data gathered in the process would lead to increased surveillance.

The president’s six-day visit is the longest undertaken by Steinmeier since his period in office began in March 2017.

It followed visits by Chancellor Angela Merkel in May 2018 and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in November.

Steinmeier is to hold talks with German and Chinese business representatives, as well as intellectuals.

The visit includes stops in Guangzhou, Chengdu and finally Beijing, where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday. (dpa/NAN)

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