Trade cooperation ‘anchor’ of Germany ties

FM Qin says nations are partners, not rivals, as Baerbock dismisses decoupling

China on April 14 called trade cooperation the “anchor” of its ties with Germany, saying that the two countries are partners rather than rivals.

Addressing a joint news conference in Beijing with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said artificially putting the brakes on normal economic and trade cooperation would be counterproductive.

The two foreign ministers held the sixth round of China-Germany Strategic Dialogue on Diplomacy and Security as Baerbock made her first official visit to China.

Integration between China and Germany on the industrial chain is an inevitable result of globalization, and the best option under market rules, Qin said.

“As long as both sides remain open, there is no need to worry about socalled overreliance,” he said.

China has been Germany’s biggest trading partner for seven years, while Germany remains China’s top trading partner in Europe.

Sino-German trade has accounted for nearly 30 percent of the total trade between China and the European Union for a long time, Qin said, adding that the two countries should focus on cooperation and avoid confrontation.

He added that the key to developing good bilateral relations is to carry out communication on all fronts, strengthen strategic mutual trust and avoid misjudgments.

In response, Baerbock said Germany is not willing to decouple from China as trade between China and Germany had increased almost 50 fold since the end of the Cold War.

She called for the equal treatment of enterprises from both countries and more cooperation in green technology and tackling climate change.

Germany independently develops its relationship with China and looks forward to resuming bilateral exchanges and dialogue in various fields as soon as possible, she said.

As Baerbock expressed concerns on the Taiwan question, Qin said the fundamental cause of tension in the Taiwan Strait lies in separatist activities by “Taiwan independence” forces and external forces that support them, and that “‘Taiwan independence’ and peace cannot coexist”.

Qin, meanwhile, reiterated China’s consistent willingness to help find a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, adding that Beijing will never do anything to add fuel to the fire.

He said that China is not supplying any weapons to the parties in the conflict and will not do so in the future.

Cui Hongjian, director of the China Institute of International Studies’ European Studies Department, said Baerbock’s visit and the face-to-face meeting will help Germany understand the nature of trade cooperation with China and how the two countries achieve mutual benefits.

As the largest economy in the EU, a stable trade relationship between China and Germany will help stabilize China-Europe trade cooperation, Cui said.

Beijing has welcomed a number of European leaders in recent weeks, which Cui said is a sign of full resumption of China-Europe exchanges.

The recent intensive contacts reflect the solid foundation for ChinaEurope cooperation, Cui said.

Frequent communication also shows that Europe is pursuing strategic autonomy and avoiding choosing sides between China and the United States, he added.