Germany’s foreign minister: Parts of China trip ‘more than shocking’
BERLIN, April 19 (Reuters) – German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday described parts of her recent trip to China as “more than shocking” and said Beijing was increasingly becoming a systemic rival more than a trade partner and competitor.
Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as a Chinese province and has never ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control.
Baerbock had also said China wanted to follow its own rules at the expense of the international rules-based order. Beijing in turn asked Germany to support Taiwan’s “reunification” and said China and Germany were not adversaries but partners…
Germany’s Baerbock says parts of China trip ‘shocking’
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Germany should continue close ties to China but “not be naive” and avoid repeating mistakes like its “change through trade” policy toward Russia.
Baerbock made the remarks addressing the Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament, on Wednesday.
She said China has been seen as a trade partner, competitor and a systemic rival to Germany, but her impression is now “that the systemic rivals aspect is increasing more and more.”
She also stressed the need to avoid repeating past mistakes, like the policy of “change through trade,” which Berlin previously hoped would achieve political transition in authoritarian regimes like Russia.
https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-baerbock-says-parts-of-china-trip-shocking/a-65375303