中文
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock meet the press after co-chairing the sixth round of China-Germany strategic dialogue on diplomacy and security in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]
By He Zhigao
Recently, China-Europe relations have captured more attention on the global stage. After Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited China, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made her China visit from April 13 to 15.
This is Baerbock's first official visit, during which she co-chaired the sixth round of China-Germany strategic dialogue on diplomacy and security with her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang, and prepared for a new round of China-Germany inter-governmental consultation.
Considering that Germany's policy on China is embedded in European policy on China, it is important to enhance mutual understanding and expand cooperation, thereby strengthening the degree of stability and continuity in China-Europe relations.
For a long time, China-Germany relations have maintained strong resilience. According to the German Federal Statistical Office, China remained Germany's most important trading partner for the seventh year in a row in 2022. Trade between China and Germany had increased almost 50-fold since the end of the Cold War. Besides, the two countries share the responsibility to promote economic recovery, as well as safeguard geopolitical security.
However, Germany's "traffic light" coalition has been divided on dealing with China. The German government defines China as its "competitor, partner, and systemic rival." After former Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany's China policy became more diverse and complex.
Given that the new German government's China policy is in a new round of learning and construction cycle, under the circumstances of China-U.S. strategic competition and geopolitical conflict intensification, the China-Germany relationship will still go through a period of adjustment and collision in the following days.
After the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared that Germany and the world entered "Zeitenwende," when economic and security issues have become an inescapable topic, including economic security, economic resilience and diversification. Germany has entered a stage of deep worry and fear.
Some Germany politicians have pledged "no more naivety" in trade with China, more restrictions on Chinese investment and less dependence on Chinese raw materials. Some argue that economic relationship between China and Germany lacks reciprocity, with growing skepticism, not only about issues including human rights, but also concerns about the Taiwan region. Narratives including de-globalization, de-coupling, de-risking and protectionism are pervasive over Europe, and interdependence among countries is no longer seen as the source of prosperity and cooperation.
However, not all German politicians and entrepreneurs are eager to rock the ship of Sino-German friendship. Scholz has warned against isolating or decoupling from China, and continues to call for deepening economic and trade cooperation with China.
For countries such as Germany which rely heavily on open and free trade, the importance of globalization is self-evident. It is unrealistic for Germany to decouple from China. After all, the Chinese market is one of the cornerstones of Germany's economic prosperity.
As Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang addressed, trade cooperation is the "anchor" of its ties with Germany. Arguments such as de-coupling or de-risking are misleading because no country's economic development can be completely decoupled from the world market, especially when billions of people around the world are lifted out of poverty thanks to the global division of labor, knowledge exchange and global economic networks.
Meanwhile, the expansion of China-Germany relationship is crucial for a multipolar world, which will prevent a new confrontation between opposed blocs. If Germany and Europe would achieve strategic autonomy, China is an important partner, not only in tackling climate change and safeguarding global supply chain, but also in promoting world peace, including a peaceful and negotiated resolution for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Therefore, Chinese-German relationship has entered a stage of intense discussions in Germany. Now, different ideas try to influence Germany's China policy. The two voices and lines are going through a tug of war, and it remains to be seen which strategy will prevail.
Germany is deeply constrained by partisan politics, and trapped in the dilemma of being bound by the United States. However, the competition in China-Germany relations is mainly at the level of economics, norms and rules, rather than all-round geopolitical competition or conflict. As Qin Gang said, neither a zero-sum consultation nor bloc confrontation is necessary.
So, it is important to organize this face-to-face meeting between the two foreign ministers. Baerbock's visit certainly helps the German government obtain a first-hand impression of China's development and China-Germany mutually beneficial cooperation. Frequent high-level mutual visits definitely contribute to the recovery of China-Europe relations.
Consolidating mutual respect and strategic consensus is the key to mutually beneficial cooperation. As China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin stressed, "This year will see robust exchange and cooperation between China and Germany." Both sides should strengthen mutual understanding, consolidate the bond of interests and seek development and promote people's livelihood so that the China-Germany relations can be more resilient.
He Zhigao is an associate researcher at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
