Hans-Peter Friedrich: sanctions are a dead-end + Johannes Vogel: more cooperation with Asia

We at China.Table have spent a lot of time discussing China with German politicians over the past few weeks. We have already published six interviews as a result of this dialogue. Today, two days before the federal election, we present two additional conversations.

Hans-Peter Friedrich of the CSU reaffirms the CDU/CSU‘s commitment to clear values but is clearly in favor of open and unbiased dialogue with China. “Wherever we invest, German value standards will apply” – but he thinks nothing of sanctions and lectures. Friedrich is Vice-President of the German Bundestag and co-founder of the China-Brücke association.

As Minister of the Interior from 2011 to 2013, he has government experience under Angela Merkel – and defends the way the chancellor dealt with China. Friedrich sees China’s economic rise as an advantage: “We should be grateful for any competition” – because only through competition, companies remain healthy. When it comes to the Union’s China competence, Friedrich cannot resist making a reference to former Minister-President of Bavaria, Franz-Josef Strauß. The Bavarian was the first German politician to meet with Mao.

Johannes Vogel is the deputy federal chairman of the FDP and, as a member of the German-Chinese parliamentary group, takes a keen interest in developments in the Far East. He explains why stepping in for unhindered trade with China is not at odds with his party’s particular commitment to freedom and human rights. Vogel also believes that the demands for a supply chain law on the one hand and for cutting red tape on the other are perfectly compatible. It just has to be done well – and that is something German policy has failed at in recent years. The methods of the current Minister of Economics in industrial policy are not very effective, says Vogel.

Although at first glance the representatives of potential alliance partners, the CDU/CSU and the FDP, use similar terms, striking differences are separating Friedrich’s and Vogel’s statements. For example, they interpret the mood among German businesses differently. Vogel sees an increasingly China-critical attitude among companies. For Friedrich, these are mainly just statements by associations and DAX CEOs; according to him, medium-sized companies and businesses operating locally would prefer less criticism of China.

At China.Table, we presented the positions of the SPD, the CDU/CSU, the Greens, the FDP, and the Left on China; we also requested an interview with an AfD politician with China experience, but she did not agree to an interview.

Looking forward to an exciting election Sunday

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Finn Mayer-Kuckuk