Friday, May 3, 2024

Germany appeals for reducing tensions over Taiwan

BEIJING — Germany’s executive appealed for efforts to cut back tensions over Taiwan because the German international minister arrived in China on Thursday for professional talks following Chinese army workouts close to the self-governed island democracy that Beijing claims is a part of its territory.

Annalena Baerbock arrived within the northeastern port town of Tianjin for conferences and used to be because of cling talks together with her Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, on Friday in Beijing and with senior diplomat Wang Yi on Saturday. Her ministry stated she would talk about Taiwan, Ukraine, human rights and different problems with Chinese officers.

China’s ruling Communist Party despatched warships and fighter planes close to Taiwan ultimate weekend in retaliation for a gathering between U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen.

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“Threatening military gestures” building up “the risk of unintentional military confrontations,” a spokesperson for Baerbock’s ministry, Andrea Sasse, stated in Berlin.

“We therefore call on all partners in the region and are working also with our international partners to contribute to a de-escalation in the Strait of Taiwan,” Sasse said Wednesday.

Taiwan and mainland China split in 1949 after a civil war. The Communist Party says the island is obligated to rejoin the mainland, by force if necessary.

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European governments are increasingly worried about Chinese pressure on Taiwan, a global high-tech center and one of the biggest trading economies.

European governments with the exception of Vatican City have diplomatic relations with Beijing instead of Taiwan but maintain informal and commercial relations with the island. European legislators have visited Taiwan and met Tsai to show support in the face of Chinese intimidation.

On Ukraine, Baerbock said in a statement issued by her ministry that Germany’s interest in “bringing the war on our European doorstep in Ukraine to a swift, lasting and just end” used to be on the best of her schedule for the talk over with.

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“As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, China bears a special responsibility for world peace,” she said.

Germany has strongly backed Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion, while Beijing has blamed the U.S. and NATO for provoking the conflict.

While trade and investment between them remain strong, Germany has grown increasingly wary of China’s growing influence in its economy.

Germany has ordered a new security assessment of Chinese company COSCO’s plan to purchase a 25% stake in a container terminal in Hamburg amid heavy criticism from many in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government, throwing the deal into doubt and prompting strong complaints from Beijing.

“We hope Germany can refrain from politicizing business cooperation, making it something about ideology or security, or artificially setting up obstacles,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a briefing Thursday.

Baerbock planx to go back and forth to South Korea on Saturday after which attend a gathering of international ministers of the Group of Seven main economies in Japan on Sunday.

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