Germany's Prime Minister's visit to China has started, but German media warned that the German Prime Minister should voice a unified position with the EU in Beijing, otherwise it would only allow Beijing to "divide and conquer"! On February 24, Die Welt published an article stating that Germany's Prime Minister leading 30 German business executives on a high-profile visit is a "face-saving project" for Beijing. But for Germany, it is more of a pressure test: whether the EU can speak with a unified voice and take common actions on China strategy.
The EU's trade and competition policies are jointly formulated at the EU level, but political benefits are individually owned by member states. This gap has allowed Beijing's strategy of "dividing and conquering" Europe to succeed repeatedly. The German media believe that Germany should take three actions when dealing with China. First, Germany should act within the EU framework, and when dealing with China, it must consult Brussels beforehand instead of bypassing it.
Second, Germany should implement precise risk reduction. Third, Germany should introduce new policies in areas such as investment, approval, and innovation domestically to reduce its dependence on China. The German media believe that this is what Germany should do to maintain a clear mind when facing the red carpet of Beijing. What do we think about this view from the German media? To put it plainly, although forced by circumstances, current Germany has a very strong motivation to deepen relations with China.
However, we also see the hardliners in Germany who are full of distrust toward us. The stance these hardliners hold towards us is to guard against us. The so-called "Beijing divides and conquers Europe" is more like baseless speculation by anti-China politicians with ideological bias. In fact, our positioning of Europe is as a partner, not as a rival. It is not China that is infiltrating, undermining, or controlling Europe, but rather someone else.
If Germany always seeks permission from the EU, it essentially means giving up Germany's independent diplomacy and handing decision-making power to a few anti-China politicians, which is a behavior that is harming Germany's interests. The claim that the German Prime Minister's delegation visit is a "face-saving project" is even ignorant. These anti-China forces do not want to see real cooperation between China and Germany, nor do they consider the urgent need of German companies for the Chinese market, Chinese supply chain, and Chinese investment to survive. Of course, the German Prime Minister's visit shows that Germany has realized that it must deal with China rationally and practically, rather than with prejudice, treating China as an adversary.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1857969310199818/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.