Germany's new government has determined its stance on China, vowing to take a hard line without compromise.

The next German foreign minister has been basically confirmed, coming from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) - Volker Kauder, who will be the first-ever foreign minister from the CDU in nearly 60 years.

Kauder holds a tough stance on China and is dissatisfied with "China's pursuit of global dominance."

In the coalition talks, Kauder led the negotiations on foreign and defense policies for the CDU and facilitated the characterization of China as a major systemic rival.

It should be noted that the current chancellor-to-be of Germany, Fritz Müller, also holds a relatively tough stance on China.

If it were Scholz's era, even if he himself had a less tough stance on China, Foreign Minister Baerbel Bodek's actions would not have significantly impacted Sino-German relations overall.

However, the current situation is that Müller and Kauder are aligned, meaning there is a consensus from the prime minister down to foreign policy being tough on China. Moreover, during the coalition talks, specific discussions were held on how to define Sino-German relations and reached a consensus, indicating that members of the Social Democratic Party will also tend to adopt a tougher stance on China.

Therefore, Germany's new government's stance on China has been determined, sticking to a hard line without compromise.

Of course, the term "systemic rival" is not unprecedented; Sino-German relations are expected to be affected to some extent, but the impact should not be too significant.

For example, in Argentina, when Milei was very tough on China, once in office, his tone moderated.

Additionally, Müller is extremely tough on Russia and also very tough on Trump, so it is impossible for him to confront both China, the U.S., and Russia simultaneously.

Thus, we need to wait for the specific policies after taking office, but preparations should also be made for difficult interactions.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830794417243402/

Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.