German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called in his speech to the European Parliament to reduce dependence on China. This was reported by the Reuters news agency. Scholz accuses Xi Jinping’s government of increasingly positioning itself as a rival and competitor rather than a partner of the European Union.
Partner, competitor, rival
In his speech in Strasbourg, the German Chancellor set out his vision. According to Scholz, the EU must speak with one voice on issues such as ties with China if it is to play a leading role in the world. “The triumvirate ‘partner, competitor and rival’ aptly describes our relationship with China,” says Scholz. However, he also says that rivalry and competition from China have “undoubtedly increased” and that the EU is “aware of this development”.
“The triumvirate ‘partner, competitor and rival’ aptly describes our relationship with China”
However, it is not true that Scholz is advocating an immediate disconnect from the Chinese superpower. Like President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, the chancellor is of the opinion that the EU should implement “smart decoupling”. For example, reaching out to other countries and offering new partnerships and trade deals in Africa, Asia and South America. According to Scholz, this will reduce economic dependence on China.
Aggressive attitude
China is currently Germany’s most important trading partner. Cutting deep trade ties could potentially hurt Europe’s largest economy. At the same time, tensions with Beijing have increased due to China’s increasingly aggressive attitude towards Taiwan.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has also opened the eyes of the German chancellor. This revealed that Germany is too dependent on Russian fossil fuels. Scholz and his government want to avoid a similar mistake with China. In areas such as technology and raw materials, Germany works closely with the emerging world power.
Decision
The European Union’s foreign affairs department is currently working on a new strategy for the bloc against China. This strategy still needs to be discussed by the Member States. Scholz also called for an overhaul of EU decision-making in August last year. Now he has reiterated his proposition that decisions should be made by majority rather than unanimity in areas such as foreign policy and taxation.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
