Annalena Baerbock has successfully completed her inaugural visit to Beijing. The German Foreign Minister completed the mandatory program and explicitly emphasized Europe’s interest in protecting Taiwan. She also dutifully called on China to engage more in achieving a satisfactory ceasefire in Ukraine, albeit with little hope. At the same time, she did not forget that she was traveling as a diplomat and strategically signaled for understanding.
Her Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, met her halfway and promised that China would not supply weapons to Russia. This is a new development in terms of clarity. Previously, Beijing had intentionally been vague about this issue.
Baerbock also has meetings scheduled with higher-ranking interlocutors such as Vice President Han Zheng. All of this shows that China is making an effort towards Germany. However, the Green Party politician is also proving to be a difficult guest. Qin brushed off her admonitions on human rights, saying, “What China needs least is a teacher from the West.”
Overall, both sides are taking advantage of the opportunities the visit offers. A communicative cold war between the economic partners of Germany and China would be detrimental to both countries and the global situation. Even though Baerbock and Qin have exchanged some words, they are openly talking to each other.
After a soft start in Tianjin, Annalena Baerbock traveled to Beijing on Friday. China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang had traveled to his native city of Tianjin early in the morning to accompany his German counterpart on a company visit. Qin and Baerbock used the subsequent trip on the express train for an intensive exchange.
Whether on the express train or later in the Diaoyutai guesthouse – Baerbock chose clear words on her trip to China. In doing so, she not only lived up to her reputation as a difficult guest. Rather, she was able to achieve at least a small diplomatic success. China pledged not to supply weapons to Russia.
The fact that China’s foreign minister is traveling to meet his German counterpart and that they are traveling together by train to Beijing is a remarkable occurrence: The last time Angela Merkel and Wen Jiabao traveled together by train was in 2012. But the chancellor at the time was a welcome guest in China, and Sino-German relations were far better than they are these days.
Qin’s behavior shows China’s effort to improve relations with Germany again – including Baerbock, who was considered a difficult guest in China, given her critical stance.
Baerbock also lived up to this reputation during the subsequent talks in Beijing. She addressed her respective counterparts with clear words – be it Foreign Minister Qin Gang, top diplomat Wang Yi, or, most recently, Vice President Han Zheng. And Baerbock has certainly had some success with this.
China’s foreign minister, for example, promised that no weapons would be provided to Russia in the Ukraine war. “China will not provide weapons to relevant parties of the conflict,” Qin Gang said at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guest House. He also assured that China would closely control the export of so-called dual-use goods. These are products that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
It is a small diplomatic success for Baerbock. Until now, China had not spoken so clearly on the subject of arms deliveries to Russia. Ever since the United States raised the issue at the Munich Security Conference, Beijing has replied evasively that the Americans have nothing to say to China. Rather, the US was adding fuel to the fire with its arms deliveries. Baerbock now received a clear promise: Russia will not receive any weapons from China.
Baerbock also called on China to do more to end the war. The German Foreign Minister cleverly mentioned China’s recent success in negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Just as China had worked for a peaceful settlement in the Middle East, it would like to see the same in the Ukraine war.
The German foreign minister used the phrase “core interests”, which China likes to use: The decision on how China uses its influence affects Europe’s core interests. And: China’s rights as a permanent member of the Security Council also entail a special responsibility.
While it is good that China has signaled it is committed to a solution, she said. “But I have to say frankly that I wonder why the Chinese positioning so far does not include a call to the aggressor Russia to stop the war. We all know President Putin would have the opportunity to do that at any time,” Baerbock said.
Qin Gang, however, remained firm and merely reiterated the familiar formulation that China’s role in the Ukraine issue is to promote reconciliation and advance peace negotiations.
There was also no compromise on the subject of Taiwan. Unlike France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Baerbock left no room for doubt. She stressed that a violent change in the status quo was unacceptable. A military escalation around the island claimed by China would be a “horror scenario” for the world. “Conflicts must only be resolved peacefully,” Baerbock warned.
Qin, on the other hand, defended himself against any foreign interference in Taiwan and did not go beyond the familiar Chinese accusations: The real root of the problems, he said, was Taiwan’s independence aspirations. In any case, China would not give up an inch of territory.
On the subject of human rights, there was even a real exchange of blows. Baerbock’s critical remarks were answered by Qin with the words: “What China needs least is a teacher from the West.” Every state has its own circumstances and cultural and historical background, he said. When it comes to human rights, there are “no uniform standards in the world,” Qin said.
Baerbock, in turn, explicitly addressed the situation of the Uyghurs and replied that there were indeed common standards in the UN Charter and the UN Convention on Human Rights.
And so it is only a prelude for Baerbock in her efforts to rebalance the increasingly complicated relationship with China. After all, there is much more at stake here: social exchange, economic interdependencies and dependencies – and not least a new world order. Germany urgently needs a clear strategy for this. with Joern Petring
Annalena Baerbock has successfully completed her inaugural visit to Beijing. The German Foreign Minister completed the mandatory program and explicitly emphasized Europe’s interest in protecting Taiwan. She also dutifully called on China to engage more in achieving a satisfactory ceasefire in Ukraine, albeit with little hope. At the same time, she did not forget that she was traveling as a diplomat and strategically signaled for understanding.
Her Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, met her halfway and promised that China would not supply weapons to Russia. This is a new development in terms of clarity. Previously, Beijing had intentionally been vague about this issue.
Baerbock also has meetings scheduled with higher-ranking interlocutors such as Vice President Han Zheng. All of this shows that China is making an effort towards Germany. However, the Green Party politician is also proving to be a difficult guest. Qin brushed off her admonitions on human rights, saying, “What China needs least is a teacher from the West.”
Overall, both sides are taking advantage of the opportunities the visit offers. A communicative cold war between the economic partners of Germany and China would be detrimental to both countries and the global situation. Even though Baerbock and Qin have exchanged some words, they are openly talking to each other.
After a soft start in Tianjin, Annalena Baerbock traveled to Beijing on Friday. China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang had traveled to his native city of Tianjin early in the morning to accompany his German counterpart on a company visit. Qin and Baerbock used the subsequent trip on the express train for an intensive exchange.
Whether on the express train or later in the Diaoyutai guesthouse – Baerbock chose clear words on her trip to China. In doing so, she not only lived up to her reputation as a difficult guest. Rather, she was able to achieve at least a small diplomatic success. China pledged not to supply weapons to Russia.
The fact that China’s foreign minister is traveling to meet his German counterpart and that they are traveling together by train to Beijing is a remarkable occurrence: The last time Angela Merkel and Wen Jiabao traveled together by train was in 2012. But the chancellor at the time was a welcome guest in China, and Sino-German relations were far better than they are these days.
Qin’s behavior shows China’s effort to improve relations with Germany again – including Baerbock, who was considered a difficult guest in China, given her critical stance.
Baerbock also lived up to this reputation during the subsequent talks in Beijing. She addressed her respective counterparts with clear words – be it Foreign Minister Qin Gang, top diplomat Wang Yi, or, most recently, Vice President Han Zheng. And Baerbock has certainly had some success with this.
China’s foreign minister, for example, promised that no weapons would be provided to Russia in the Ukraine war. “China will not provide weapons to relevant parties of the conflict,” Qin Gang said at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guest House. He also assured that China would closely control the export of so-called dual-use goods. These are products that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
It is a small diplomatic success for Baerbock. Until now, China had not spoken so clearly on the subject of arms deliveries to Russia. Ever since the United States raised the issue at the Munich Security Conference, Beijing has replied evasively that the Americans have nothing to say to China. Rather, the US was adding fuel to the fire with its arms deliveries. Baerbock now received a clear promise: Russia will not receive any weapons from China.
Baerbock also called on China to do more to end the war. The German Foreign Minister cleverly mentioned China’s recent success in negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Just as China had worked for a peaceful settlement in the Middle East, it would like to see the same in the Ukraine war.
The German foreign minister used the phrase “core interests”, which China likes to use: The decision on how China uses its influence affects Europe’s core interests. And: China’s rights as a permanent member of the Security Council also entail a special responsibility.
While it is good that China has signaled it is committed to a solution, she said. “But I have to say frankly that I wonder why the Chinese positioning so far does not include a call to the aggressor Russia to stop the war. We all know President Putin would have the opportunity to do that at any time,” Baerbock said.
Qin Gang, however, remained firm and merely reiterated the familiar formulation that China’s role in the Ukraine issue is to promote reconciliation and advance peace negotiations.
There was also no compromise on the subject of Taiwan. Unlike France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Baerbock left no room for doubt. She stressed that a violent change in the status quo was unacceptable. A military escalation around the island claimed by China would be a “horror scenario” for the world. “Conflicts must only be resolved peacefully,” Baerbock warned.
Qin, on the other hand, defended himself against any foreign interference in Taiwan and did not go beyond the familiar Chinese accusations: The real root of the problems, he said, was Taiwan’s independence aspirations. In any case, China would not give up an inch of territory.
On the subject of human rights, there was even a real exchange of blows. Baerbock’s critical remarks were answered by Qin with the words: “What China needs least is a teacher from the West.” Every state has its own circumstances and cultural and historical background, he said. When it comes to human rights, there are “no uniform standards in the world,” Qin said.
Baerbock, in turn, explicitly addressed the situation of the Uyghurs and replied that there were indeed common standards in the UN Charter and the UN Convention on Human Rights.
And so it is only a prelude for Baerbock in her efforts to rebalance the increasingly complicated relationship with China. After all, there is much more at stake here: social exchange, economic interdependencies and dependencies – and not least a new world order. Germany urgently needs a clear strategy for this. with Joern Petring
