German Foreign Minister: "China Has Become More Aggressive Internationally"

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock recently described her visit to China, where she had a heated exchange with Qin Gang, China's Foreign Minister and State Councilor, as "shocking," German media outlet Deutsche Welle reported on the 19th local time.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In a speech to the Bundestag that day, Minister Baerbock said regarding her experience in China, "It was more than just shocking," adding, "China has become more repressive internally and more aggressive externally."

Minister Baerbock noted that while China has long been regarded as both a trade partner and competitor of Germany, "it is increasingly taking on the character of a structural competitor."

She also referred to the policy of "change through trade," which in the past meant Germany attempted to induce political transitions by trading with authoritarian regimes like Russia.

Through this, Germany increased its energy dependence on Russia by constructing the Nord Stream gas pipeline to receive concentrated gas supplies.

While emphasizing that cooperation between Germany and China must continue, she stressed, "Germany must not act naively," and "must never repeat past mistakes."

Known for her tough stance on China, Minister Baerbock engaged in a frank exchange with Minister Qin during the diplomatic and security strategic dialogue held in Beijing on the 14th, addressing issues such as China's human rights record, the Taiwan Strait, and policies related to the Ukraine war.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.