Then he said: “Finance Minister Lindner is of course welcome with us.” Chinese Finance Minister Liu Kun had an urgent other program, said Qin, hence the cancellation of the meeting. “We hope to welcome Mr. Lindner to China. It is a purely technical question and should not be over-interpreted.”
The spontaneous cancellation of the meeting planned for this week in Beijing caused irritation in Berlin. Baerbock himself had previously discussed the cancellation. “Real dialogue – that is the spirit of our upcoming government consultations,” Baerbock said.
It is important, she emphasized, that the ministers also engage in dialogue on this. “Preparatory contacts between the ministers are then also important for this – from the finance minister to the education minister to the economics minister.”
It is only three weeks since Foreign Minister Baerbock and her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang met in Beijing. On Tuesday afternoon they stood together again in front of the press, this time in Berlin. Qin Gang is in Germany for a return visit before traveling on to France and Norway on Wednesday.
Dangerous dependence on the People’s Republic
“I am pleased that we can keep up the pace of the train in our exchange,” said Baerbock right at the beginning of the press conference. It is an allusion to the fact that Qin Gang picked her up from his hometown of Tianjin in mid-March on Baerbock’s first visit to China as Foreign Minister on the Chinese express train, of which Beijing is particularly proud.
The foreign ministers on the train in China.
(Photo: IMAGO/photothek)
The meeting on Tuesday served to prepare for the German-Chinese government consultations on June 20th. “It’s good that we’re resuming this format after a long Covid break,” said Baerbock.
The atmosphere seemed more relaxed throughout the press conference than at the previous encounter between Baerbock and Qin in Beijing. There the two foreign ministers exchanged blows.
Other European countries are looking to Berlin
The relationship between Germany and China is not only important for the German economy, some of which has become dangerously dependent on the People’s Republic. Other European countries are also taking a very close look at how Berlin is positioning itself in relation to China.
The new China strategy, which the federal government has been working on for months under the auspices of the Federal Foreign Office, is eagerly awaited. A first draft, which was leaked last year, painted a much more critical picture of China.
>> Read here: These changes in German top ambassadors are pending
However, many now fear that the strategy will be weakened – especially in the Central and Eastern European countries there are such skeptical voices, says Alicja Bachulska, China expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, the Handelsblatt.
After all, the German China strategy will be “one of the decisive elements that will shape the European and Chinese perspective on the future of EU-China relations,” said Bachulska.
Things got tough in Berlin on Tuesday, but both sides seemed to be trying to be friendly. Baerbock praised China as “a pioneer in renewable energies”, but also warned that the People’s Republic is also the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. China therefore plays a key role in the climate crisis.
Critical points of relationships
Both sides addressed critical points in the relationship. Baerbock called for human rights to be respected and called on Beijing to use its influence over Russian President Vladimir Putin to work towards peace in Ukraine.
The Chinese President visits Moscow.
(Photo: IMAGO/ITAR-TASS)
Qin Gang called for the existing cooperation between Germany and China to be further expanded, “particularly to create a good environment for cooperation between the two countries’ companies,” said Qin Gang.
Topics were also the discussions about planned EU sanctions against companies that supply parts relevant to the war to China. Baerbock emphasized that it was important that sanctions were not undermined in a roundabout way. “It is particularly critical when Russian armaments companies get hold of goods relevant to the war,” she said.
>> Read here: No Ukraine peace solution without Washington – and Beijing?
EU action is not aimed at any specific country, she stressed. However, she expects China to act accordingly on its companies. However, she understood the Foreign Minister in Beijing that there were no exports of armaments from China.
For his part, Qin Gang emphasized that there are normal exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian companies. “And this normal exchange must not be disturbed.”
At the same time, it is also the law in China not to deliver weapons to crisis regions. There are also corresponding regulations for so-called dual-use goods, which can be used for civil and military purposes. It is “strongly opposed” to countries launching unilateral sanctions against China or other countries under their own domestic laws. “If that were the case, we will react strictly and strictly to it.” A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry had already made a similar statement at the lecture.
Striving for good relationships
Despite the critical words, Beijing is currently visibly trying to maintain good relations with Berlin. The canceled meeting between Lindner and the Chinese Minister of Finance Liu Kun had caused all the more irritation in the environment of the federal government. Especially since Lindner had already been treated very unfriendly by Chinese state officials in 2019.
The Chinese Minister of Finance was to receive Christian Lindner.
(Photo: Reuters)
FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai, who was part of the travel delegation at the time, said: “China operates a tough interest policy and does not seem to shy away from diplomatic matters of course such as personal exchange,” said Djir-Sarai. It is high time for Germany to “end the naivety of recent years towards China”.
Statements by leading FDP politicians on Tuesday showed that China critics within the party feel encouraged by the short-term cancellation. In an interview with the news portal “The Pioneer”, Lindner called for a new balance in relations with China.
It is about “a self-confident and realistic approach to China” and “a less velvet-pawed appearance” than the previous governments had shown, said Lindner. “We won’t let our liberal values be bought for good business.”
“We don’t know the main reason for the cancellation,” said China expert Bachulska, “but the optics are bad in any case.” Djir-Sarai demanded that Germany formulate and pursue its own interests “more confidently and unequivocally”.
>> Read here: EU considers extraterritorial sanctions against Russia’s suppliers – China threatens retaliation
“In addition to economic interests, we also have value-oriented interests that we defend.” Liberal values such as international law, human rights, legal certainty and political freedoms are non-negotiable.
Chinese investment is declining
As a recent analysis by the China think tanks Rhodium and Merics has shown, the more critical attitude towards China is already having very concrete consequences. Takeovers of European companies by Chinese companies have fallen massively in the past year – also because there were many bans. The acquisitions were therefore only 3.4 billion euros in 2022 – the lowest value since 2011.
Overall, Chinese investments in Europe fell by 22 percent to 7.9 billion euros in 2022 compared to the previous year. They reached their lowest level in ten years. The main investment sectors remain consumer goods and the automotive industry. According to the analysis, these sectors account for three quarters of all Chinese investment in Europe.
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