Baerbock on foreign policy: “Interplay between dialogue and hardship”

Status: 02.12.2021 07:48 a.m.

The future Foreign Minister Baerbock wants to do a lot differently in her area than her predecessors: For example, she announced a tougher course towards China. Dialogue does not mean “glossing over or hushing up”.

Foreign minister-designate Annalena Baerbock commented on her future departmental course in an interview and announced a tougher approach to authoritarian states. “Dialogue is the central component of international politics. But that does not mean that you have to gloss over things or keep quiet,” said Baerbock of the “taz”. “For me, a value-based foreign policy is always an interplay of dialogue and rigor.”

With a view to China, the Green leader declared that she wanted to clearly address grievances in the country: “In the long run, eloquent silence is not a form of diplomacy, even if some have seen it that way in recent years.”

Specifically, Baerbock brought an import ban for products from the Chinese region of Xinjiang into play. “We Europeans should use this lever of the common internal market much more effectively. But it will only work if all 27 member states pull together and not, as in the past, Germany as the largest member state formulated its own China policy,” said Baerbock. The Chinese leadership is accused of massive human rights violations against the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang.

A boycott of the Olympic Games cannot be ruled out

Baerbock also did not rule out a boycott of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. “When I see how China’s leadership deals with tennis player Peng Shuai or with the arrested citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, we should of course also take a closer look at the Olympic Games. There are different ways for governments to deal with them in the coming weeks certainly to be discussed. ”

Peng, the former world number one in doubles, published allegations of sexual assault by a top Chinese politician on the Weibo social network in early November. The 35-year-old’s post was deleted soon after. Since then, athletes, politicians and human rights activists have expressed concern for the tennis player’s well-being. Zhang was sentenced to four years in prison a year ago for her critical reports of the corona outbreak in Wuhan.

“Foreign Policy as World Domestic Policy”

Baerbock also commented on the “foreign climate policy” formulated in the coalition agreement: “I understand foreign policy as global domestic policy: crises work across borders. They can only be dealt with globally and cooperatively.” The biggest global crisis is the climate crisis. It is no longer enough to see that each country addresses its own climate goals, “we must finally join forces”.

The big climate conferences would be used as a framework, “but we also need more countries that show that a climate-neutral economy ensures prosperity and that other countries shake hands.” She sees the industrialized countries as responsible for this. In order to achieve the Paris climate goals, massive investments in climate infrastructure are necessary, both nationally and internationally. “Climate investments are also an opportunity to strengthen European competitiveness,” said the foreign minister-designate.

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