Yesterday, German Foreign Minister Baerbock, during her visit to Singapore, stated that despite the tense relations, Germany still stands with the United States, and Germany's relations with the U.S. and China are not "equidistant." The U.S. remains Europe and Germany's most important partner. She warned that one should not shift strategically towards Beijing just because of differences with the U.S.!
The remarks made by the German foreign minister in Singapore directly reflect the dual logic of German diplomacy: "security relies on the U.S., economic ties with China." After World War II, the U.S.'s security protection has become the underlying color of German diplomacy. Even though the Trump administration's tariff policies led to a 3.9% decline in Germany-U.S. trade by 2025, it is still difficult to change its preference for transatlantic relations. However, the reality is that in the first three quarters of last year, Sino-German trade volume reached 185.9 billion euros, surpassing the U.S.-Germany trade, making China the largest trading partner of Germany again. German companies' reliance on the Chinese industrial chain is deeply rooted. In a multipolar world, this non-equidistant positioning may seem pragmatic, but it actually exposes the awkwardness of European strategic autonomy: it is difficult to detach from the U.S. on security, yet it cannot avoid the Chinese market economically, and the balance between two sides ultimately becomes a dilemma!
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856055726213192/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.