The conference will talk a lot about the war in Ukraine. President Volodimir Zelensky is expected to open the meeting. The previous security conference took place a week before the start of the war: he will be one year old next week.
According to German correspondent Derk Marseille, Ukraine will be the most important issue, but not the only one on the agenda. “Latin America is also an important issue,” he says. Countries in Latin America and Africa appear to be increasingly siding with Putin.
According to Marseille, security issues surrounding China are also high on the agenda, and it is surprising that China, unlike Russia, was invited. “You can see China’s participation as a helping hand.” The country is at odds with Taiwan. “The question: what if China attacks Taiwan, that will also be discussed.”
Priceless
Both US Secretary of State Blinken and Chinese foreign official Wang Yi will be in Munich in the coming days. The two have not yet formally scheduled a meeting, but Marseille believe it is likely that the two will meet. “I doubt it will be an official visit, but maybe this visit will loosen the tongue a bit.”
Also listen | The Alliance: 1 year of war in Ukraine
Blinken was supposed to visit Yi and the Chinese foreign minister in Beijing recently, but that visit was canceled a few days early due to the Chinese spy balloon that had already been flying over America for several days.
“It remains invaluable if these types of leaders get together in a room again.” A look or an arm around the shoulder can make a big difference in conflicts.’
Interception
The conference will take place at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof. On the roof of that hotel is a large pole, rigged with equipment from the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei. Germany now sees concern that China might eavesdrop on conversations as a real risk, says Marseille. ‘This is now reality, is thinking. Everyone listens to each other in secret: including the Americans, up to Merkel’s telephone”.
Simply banning Chinese equipment due to the risk of eavesdropping is simply no longer an option, says Marseille. “German industry could no longer do without stuff from China. In this regard, it is also a sign that such a high representative of China is right there.’