As Chinese Premier Li Qiang visits Chancellor Olaf Scholz today, Germany is trying to relate to its main trading partner. According to the German correspondent Derk Marseille, the German government parties are strongly divided on the position taken towards China. Berlin lacks a unified strategy. “In Germany, the relationship is described as a balancing act.”
Germany walks a tightrope between hard cases and soft human rights. An important fact is that China is Germany’s largest trading partner and that Germany is therefore very dependent on the country. Not only because it is an important sales market for German cars, but also because Germany needs Chinese raw materials to produce them Energiewende realize.
Germany appears to be taking tougher and softer positions depending on the circumstances, says Marseille. When it comes to dependency, the drawbacks of the report are more softly worded, ‘but as soon as possible Germany will also appeal to China’. A few months ago, for example, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock raised the question of human rights in China. But that’s certainly not high on the agenda now, says Marseille.
Business, geopolitics
Quid pro quo, of course China also wants something from Germany. Not only economic interests are involved, but also geopolitical ones. For example, Berlin is actually caught between China and the United States, its major trading partners who are at odds with each other. According to Marseille, China’s goal is very clear: to become the most important and influential country in the world. And Germany is “an important partner with enormous potential”.
“It’s actually a relationship as Germany is portrayed as a balancing act”
German division
But while Scholz is already selling the Chinese visit as a political success (we’re talking, aren’t we?), German politicians are deeply divided over what attitude to adopt towards China. “In reality, each party has a different view on it.” But, says Marseilles, Germany and China have been down for a while with wordstherefore reciprocal visits are pure profit.
According to the correspondent, Germany has been formulating a strategy for China for a year. While almost all ministries have already drawn up a report on the matter, there is still no single chancellery strategy that has been approved by all parties.
Source: BNR
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