During her visit to Beijing, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed clear criticism – and issued a warning. Her Chinese colleague countered.
During her visit to Beijing, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned China of a military conflict with Taiwan. This would be a “horror scenario,” said Baerbock on Friday after meeting her Chinese colleague Qin Gang. “Destabilization would have consequences for all countries, the global economy and also for Germany.”
The Green politician also called on China to use its influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. She also insisted on the observance of human rights and referred to the province of Xinjiang, where China is accused of oppressing the Muslim Uyghur minority. She also called for a level playing field for German companies. Qin Gang underscored the importance of relations with Germany, but added: “What China needs the least are teachers from the West.”
Baerbock’s visit was eagerly awaited after French President Emmanuel Macron’s trip to China last week. Macron had also called on China to persuade Russia to end the war against Ukraine. However, he had also encouraged the EU to reduce its dependence on the US and warned of being drawn into a crisis over Taiwan. He was criticized in the USA and Europe for the statements and his trip with a large business delegation.
Baerbock: The global economic crisis would also affect Germany
Baerbock and Qin explained the desire to work together, but also the differences. Baerbock expressed disappointment that China’s leadership had not yet named Russia as the sole aggressor in the Ukraine war. Beijing must put more pressure on Moscow to end the war. China’s Foreign Ministry published a statement by Qin on its website Friday, saying the two states needed cooperation, not confrontation. As long as there is openness on both sides, there is no need to worry about so-called dependency.
A reunification of China with Taiwan by force is not acceptable for Europe, said Baerbock, who at the same time emphasized Germany’s one-China policy. A war would send “shock waves” and a global economic crisis would also hit China and Germany, she said, referring to Taiwan’s economic importance for the chip industry, for example. Unlike Macron, she pointed out that the conflict in East Asia also affects Europeans, despite the great geographical distance.
Qin, on the other hand, accused unnamed foreign governments of supporting separatists in Taiwan, which is part of China. This has created tensions in recent years. The government in Beijing does not tolerate any interference in internal affairs. China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and has not ruled out a violent unification. The background is not only the Taiwan conflict, but also the controversial actions of the People’s Republic in the South China Sea, with which the leadership in Beijing is massively pushing disputed territorial claims.
Criticized treatment of minorities
Baerbock also insisted on the universality of human rights and criticized China’s treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. Germany and the EU would oblige companies to comply with human rights standards, which applies not only to China but worldwide. Qin explained that China is going its own way on human rights. He invited Baerbock to travel to Xinjiang.
At the beginning of her trip to China, Baerbock visited projects for the expansion of renewable energies in the port city of Tianjin. The Foreign Minister emphasized that while there should be no decoupling from China, there should be a reduction in risks. “As you know, you shouldn’t make mistakes twice,” she said, pointing out that Germany was too dependent on Russia for gas supplies. That is why economic security is one of the core issues of the China strategy that the federal government is currently developing. The background is the high dependency of German companies, for example on some raw material deliveries from China.
