Baerbock: No interest in economic decoupling


ABefore her first visit to China, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock emphasized the goal of exploring opportunities for future cooperation and reducing the dangers of one-sided dependency. “For our country, a lot depends on whether we succeed in properly balancing our future relationship with China,” said the Green politician on Wednesday before departure. At the top of their agenda is the interest in “ending the war on our European front door in Ukraine as quickly, permanently and fairly as possible”.

“Partner, competitor, systemic rival – that is the compass of European China policy. The direction in which the needle will swing in the future also depends on the path China chooses,” said Baerbock. With the planned new China strategy, the federal government will take China’s changed role in the world into account. After the end of the corona restrictions, she wanted to “get a more precise picture of the course the new leadership is taking, also with a view to the tension between political control and economic openness,” said the minister.

Baerbock announced that she wanted to explore opportunities for more cooperation in promoting civil society, in climate protection and in future-oriented sectors such as renewable energies. It is clear: “We have no interest in economic decoupling – this would be difficult in a globalized world anyway.” However, the risks of one-sided dependencies must be systematically considered and reduced, “in the sense of de-risking”.

“Horror scenario of a military escalation in the Taiwan Strait”

This also applies “in view of the horror scenario of a military escalation in the Taiwan Strait, through which 50 percent of world trade flows every day,” Baerbock said. She will therefore also underline the common European conviction that a unilateral change in the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, and even more so a military escalation, would be unacceptable. Of course, she also wants to talk about the protection of universal human rights in China, said the minister. This must be part of fair competitive conditions.

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China bears a special responsibility for world peace, emphasized Baerbock against the background of the war in Ukraine. China’s role in influencing Russia “will have implications for all of Europe and our relationship with China,” she said. In view of Beijing’s backing for Russian President Vladimir Putin, the trip is likely to be one of the most diplomatically difficult missions of her term of office to date.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s representative in Germany, Shieh Jhy-Wey, is hoping for a clear signal from Baerbock on her trip to China. In light of recent statements by French President Emmanuel Macron, “I hope that Ms. Baerbock, who is known as an advocate of liberal values, will speak out in Beijing and underline that Germany opposes any attempt by China to solve the Taiwan issue by force,” said Shieh the “daily mirror”.



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