Berlin, Beijing, Taipei The first visit by a German government member to Taiwan after 26 years begins surprisingly unspectacularly. When Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) landed in Taipei on Tuesday with the scheduled airliner, she wasn’t expecting a red carpet; instead of a limousine, they and their small delegation are picked up in a colorful bus with a built-in karaoke system.
The low-key greeting fits the overall tone of the trip. The Federal Ministry of Research had not announced the date, and the program was also kept under wraps until shortly before it began.
Stark-Watzinger repeatedly emphasizes in Taiwan that what matters to her is “professional exchange”. That is the meaning and purpose of this trip, she tells the journalists traveling with her.
The reason for the unusual reluctance is the fear of a violent reaction from Beijing. The Chinese government regards Taiwan as part of its territory, although the country has never been part of the People’s Republic founded in 1949 and has its own democratically elected government and laws.
Most countries in the world, including the Federal Republic of Germany, do not recognize this territorial claim, but have renounced official diplomatic relations with Taipei in favor of diplomatic relations with Beijing as part of their “One China Policy”.
In recent years, the Chinese government has reacted with increasing resentment to supposed signs that states such as Germany or the USA are moving away from this practice.
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Unlike the visit of the then Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, last August, there were no military maneuvers around the island during Stark-Watzinger’s visit, as expected.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday criticized Stark-Watzinger’s trip to Taiwan as “bad behavior” without naming the minister. China has officially protested on the German side and expressed its dissatisfaction, it said.
China protests Stark-Watzinger’s visit to Taiwan
Germany is urged to adhere to the “one China principle” and immediately stop cooperation “with the separatist forces” in Taiwan. However, the reaction was comparatively moderate. The visit was not even discussed in the Chinese state media.
There are two explanations for the reluctance: On the one hand, unlike the USA, Germany is not suitable as a target for Chinese nationalists. On the other hand, Beijing is currently trying to improve the ailing relations with Berlin.
The federal government speaks of a pure work visit
But the German side also tried to dispel any doubt that Stark-Watzinger’s trip was anything other than a working visit.
After the unspectacular reception at the airport, the delegation bus stops at a bus stop in front of the National Science and Technology Council. While still on the sidewalk, Taiwan’s Minister of Science and Technology Wu Tsung-Tsong greets the Federal Research Minister.
A little later, he and Stark-Watzinger sign an agreement on scientific and technological cooperation between Germany and Taiwan. “It is a great honor for me to speak at this historic event,” says Wu.
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According to the German side, the agreement is the basis for future cooperation in four areas in particular: semiconductors, electric car batteries, hydrogen production and artificial intelligence. “This means that we create values for our countries together,” explains Stark-Watzinger. “Taiwan is a highly respected partner with its excellent research facilities.”
Taiwan cleverly uses its technological superiority in many areas to make itself indispensable for international partners. With this, the small country wants to inflate the price for the Chinese government to one day – as announced several times – forcibly annex the island.
The Taiwanese Minister of Science and the Federal Minister of Research at their meeting in Taipei.
(Photo: Reuters)
The fields of cooperation have been chosen with care. Minister Wu visited Germany last year, laying the foundation for the current trip and the declaration of intent. Expert trips to Taiwan followed to identify cooperation projects.
In all four areas, the small island the size of Switzerland with its 24 million inhabitants is among the best in the world. Home to the world’s largest contract manufacturer of computer chips, TSMC, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is an almost indispensable part of the global high-tech supply chain.
The Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI) therefore praised and criticized it: “Taiwan is the world market leader in the manufacture of microchips and for this reason alone it is an important cooperation partner for the ‘chip development country’ Germany – not only as a producer and supplier, but also as a research partner “, EFI chairman Uwe Cantner told the Handelsblatt. The EFI advises the federal government on all questions of innovation.
Experts advocate close cooperation with Taiwan
Closer cooperation with Taiwan could help Germany in general, and especially when it comes to digital technologies and raw materials, “to be able to free itself from its pronounced dependence on China,” said Cantner.
The commission of experts had repeatedly emphasized the importance of diversification, not only in retail but also in research. Berlin must approach this “strategically cleverly”. It is therefore to be hoped that Taiwan will be one of many research and innovation locations with which the government is expanding cooperative relations in the coming years.
However, the research ministry should also “clearly communicate this to the outside world”: Cantner criticizes that the fact that it does not publish any information on the minister’s trip to Taiwan on its website is a missed opportunity.
Another focus of Stark-Watzinger’s trip is battery technology. Here, Germany and Taiwan are working on a joint agreement on battery cell research, which was not completed in time for the research minister’s visit. Taiwan’s industry is one of the most important suppliers of components for electric cars.
Batteries for electric cars are an important topic
Tesla’s first car, the Roadster, sourced most of its components from Taiwan. Now the largest Taiwanese iPhone manufacturer Foxconn wants to revolutionize the global auto industry with a new business model for cars: the contract manufacturing of electric cars.
Together with other companies, including the Japanese electric motor giant Nidec, the group has developed platforms on which models for car manufacturers can be produced. Battery technology also plays an important role here.
Foxconn not only built a battery factory, but is also a technology leader in solid-state batteries. With their higher energy density than previous liquid lithium batteries, they are considered to be the next generation of batteries.
Stark-Watzinger is already back in Germany on Wednesday. Before that, she meets the Taiwanese Minister of Education and visits a semiconductor institute. A detour to the memorial hall for the controversial longtime President of Taiwan, Chiang Kai-Shek is also planned.
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