Karuizawa.
On her trip to East Asia, the Foreign Minister rebuffed China – and sought to close ranks with countries like South Korea and Japan.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s (Greens) six-day trip to East Asia has turned into an emotional roller coaster ride. China: cool; South Korea and Japan: friendly, is the summary. During talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing, the two’s positions clashed head-on. The press conference that followed turned into a chilly event.
In addition to the conflict over Taiwan, problems were the sealing off of the Chinese market for foreigners and the great dependence of German companies on suppliers from the Far East. VW achieves 40 percent of its group sales in China. Baerbock therefore advocates a broader global spread of the business activities of German companies. The exchange with three human rights lawyers in Beijing was under the tenor: The suppression of the Chinese state has increased at an alarming rate in recent years, the surveillance techniques have become more and more sophisticated.
More on the subject: Tricky trip to China – Baerbock learned from mistakes
Baerbock wants to form a large European-American-East Asian alliance
The contrasting program awaited Baerbock in Seoul. Her South Korean counterpart Park Jin received her warmly and greeted her in German at the beginning. Both invoked the partnership of values and the preservation of the rule-based international order. The Foreign Minister praised South Korea’s participation in the sanctions against Russia. Park honored Baerbock’s strong condemnation of recent North Korean missile tests. The solid-fuel rockets reduce the warning time from three minutes to one.
The minister is aiming for a kind of geopolitical quid pro quo. Germany is more involved in the Indo-Pacific – through political support, but also militarily. The German Navy wants to send another ship to the region in 2024.
In return, countries like South Korea support the punitive measures against Russia. The aim is a large European-American-East Asian alliance of democrats. A counter-power to the autocratic regimes of China and Russia, which have become very close in the course of the Ukraine war.
Also read: Baerbock in South Korea – The danger of war is very close
G7 foreign ministers’ summit on China, the situation in the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine war
At the G7 foreign ministers’ summit, which is taking place in Karuizawa, Japan, until Tuesday, it is also about the West closing ranks. The famous holiday resort, which is known for its mild temperatures in summer, is to become the family reunion of the large western economies. On Sunday evening, the G7 ministers came together for a group photo. School children dressed in black and white played classical violin music without sheet music. Baerbock chatted with her American colleague Antony Blinken. The mood was harmonious.
Whether it carries through the entire summit is another matter. The big issues are how to deal with an increasingly robust China, the situation in the Indo-Pacific with the critical points of Taiwan and North Korea, and the Ukraine war. Above all, the tensions between the People’s Republic and the USA are causing cracks in the western community. The shrill solo number of French President Emmanuel Macron, who had warned that Europe must not become a “vassal” of the USA over the Taiwan crisis, resonates. The Americans were “very relieved” about Baerbock’s clear positioning during their visit to China, according to German delegation circles.
The G7 ministers agree in principle on continued support for Ukraine, but there are also differences. “At the meeting in Japan, we will sharpen our commitment,” Baerbock said before the summit began. On the other hand, European sources say that military aid cannot be provided indefinitely. Much now depends on the success of the Ukrainian spring offensive. If the Ukrainians manage to cut through the Russian land bridge in the south, the West must dissuade Kiev from advancing on Crimea. If the Russians were forced to withdraw across the board, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin could seek salvation in heightened nuclear threats. That must be prevented.
Ukraine Crisis – The most important news about the war
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