Germany, a rarity in the anti-China West

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Anyone reading news about the German foreign policy on China these days would find a Germany seemingly in conflict with itself. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has described China as a "systemic rival" during his trip to Japan in early 2022. But he also made it crystal clear that decoupling is wrong. In his own words: "We must continue to do business with individual countries – and I say explicitly, also business with China."

German lawmakers have visited China's Taiwan region, while the German foreign minister cautioned the country, in the context of its ties with China, to "learn from the mistakes of our Russia policy of recent decades." But then, Germany is reaching a port deal despite controversies while its leader is reported to become the first Western leader to visit China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, a visit described by many as breaking the unity of the European Union (EU).

"Olaf Scholz won't dump China. Will Europe ever learn?" POLITICO asked plainly in one of its headlines.

For six years in a row, China has been Germany's top trading partner. In 2021, trade volume between the two countries reached 245.4 billion euros, registering a 15.1 percent year-on-year increase. Germany's biggest export country for its electrical and digital industry is China, totaling 25.1 billion euros in 2021. Germany is investing nearly $90 billion in China. In the first five months of 2022, Germany's actual investment in China increased by more than 21 percent. German Chamber of Commerce in China's survey showed that 71 percent of German companies plan to expand their investment in China.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attend a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, on Dec. 10, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

When the Cold War ended, China accounted for less than 1 percent of Germany's trade volume. Now, it is close to 10 percent. Any leader not influenced by pure ideological pursuits recognizes the importance of this relationship. It is in Germany's and China's own interests to maintain a stable bilateral relationship that boosts each other's prosperity.

That's what had happened under Scholz's predecessor – Angela Merkel. In her 16-year reign as the Chancellor, she visited China 12 times. Before she left office, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that Merkel is always a friend of the Chinese people and welcomed her to visit China after leaving office.

Pragmatism seems to run in the blood of recent German leaders. They recognize the similarities of their political system and values with those of other major Western economies and operate based on their European and Western identity. However, Germany hasn't shrunk from looking after its own interest and from choosing an independent foreign policy that suits its own. Even when it comes to the Huawei problem, Germany held out for two years before it fell in line with the greater Western strategy.

Choosing a more independent path and being able to reap benefits from both sides is not flip-flopping or double-faced, but a pragmatic strategy that is becoming increasingly important in a polarized world. There's no "democratic" trade or "autocratic" trade. Trade is trade. Attaching an adjective before these words puts politics and ideologies above real economic benefit for the people. Ultimately, it is economic stability and prosperity that the people seek, not the political shouting matches that could and are draining their life-long savings.

If politicians, scholars and pundits in the West are annoyed by Germany's actions, they should reflect more on their own actions rather than criticizing the Germans. Germany hasn't been hesitating when it comes to airing its differences and criticism against China, but the China-Germany relationship hasn't devolved because of the differences and criticisms. Diplomatic relationships, in today's world, are more than just black-and-white ideologies and politics. And it seems that Germany is among the very few in the West that recognize that.