Foreign Minister Baerbock’s visit to China: the lines of conflict were clearly addressed

During her visit to China, Federal Foreign Minister Baerbock also addressed her hosts on the controversial issues: war in Ukraine, relations with Russia, Taiwan, human rights. Was your visit a success?

Joint tour of a German company in the port city of Tianjin: China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang accompanied Annalena Baerbock on Friday morning on her visit to the Vitesco company. The company is active in the field of electromobility. A focus of the Federal Foreign Minister during her visit to China: economy and climate protection. But those are the more pleasant topics.

Baerbock and Qin Gang then take the bullet train to Beijing. Further talks are taking place in the capital and there is a joint press conference. Baerbock addresses the issues that Chinese leaders are reluctant to talk about.

China’s foreign minister avoids the word ‘war’

China’s threats towards Taiwan, human rights, China’s friendship with Russia and the war in Ukraine: “I have to say frankly that I wonder why the Chinese position so far has not included a call for Russia’s aggressor to stop the war”, like Baerbock. “We all know that President Putin could do this at any time.”

China’s foreign minister counters: The conflict – China has not spoken of a war to this day – can only be resolved through negotiations. All sides must exercise restraint. Qin Gang assures that it will not support Russia in the war against Ukraine with weapons at present and will not do so in the future. But nothing more, China sticks to its known positions and sees itself as a neutral party.

China expands relations with Russia

But head of state Xi Jinping has so far neither condemned Russia’s war of aggression in the neighboring country nor spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On the contrary: China is expanding its relations with Russia, selling more goods to the neighboring country than ever before and buying cheap energy, thereby even financing the war. Russia is also a partner alongside the communist government in the global systems competition with the United States.

China announced during the foreign minister’s visit that Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu will travel to Russia on Sunday. That too is a signal.

China blocks on Taiwan

As usual, Qin Gang declined any interference on the subject of Taiwan. The state and party leadership regards the democratically governed island as its own national territory, although Taiwan was never part of the People’s Republic.

When Baerbock addresses the curtailment of human rights in China, Qin Gang replies, “These disagreements shouldn’t stop us from maintaining exchanges. But these exchanges should be based on mutual respect and equality.” What China needs the least are teachers from the West.

No uniform standards for human rights?

When it comes to human rights, there are “no uniform standards in the world,” said China’s foreign minister. The fact that the People’s Republic has ratified the most important human rights conventions of the United Nations is simply ignored.

Only on Monday were two human rights lawyers sentenced to lengthy prison terms. During the foreign minister’s visit, civil rights activists were even arrested and placed under house arrest.

Baerbock then met Vice President Han Zheng. Meetings with non-governmental organizations and representatives of civil society were also on the agenda.

Baerbock has addressed key lines of conflict

Mikko Huaotari from the China think tank Merics in Berlin considers the German Foreign Minister’s visit to be a great success. Despite the open differences of opinion – or maybe because of it.

Baerbock has made it clear where she stands and where the red lines are: “It is the first time that she can also discuss the basic line of this new China policy on site. The Federal Minister addressed central lines of conflict relatively clearly,” said Huaotari. They want more close contact, more exchange, no decoupling. And you want to minimize risks that have arisen in relation.

Reduce one-sided dependencies on China, be it in the production of medicines or in the extraction of rare earths. That was one of the key messages from the Federal Foreign Ministers. According to Baerbock, Europe must make itself less susceptible to blackmail.