Although the Blueprint supports EU policy and emphasizes political and economic concerns, it is obvious that decoupling is still not an option.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says Berlin has to adjust its approach because “China has changed” in a report that breaks with the Angela Merkel era.
On Thursday, Germany unveiled a comprehensive plan to revamp its relationship with China, marking a significant change in how it sees its largest economic partner.
The country’s new China policy had been put off for many months as a result of the three-party coalition’s internal squabbles.
However, its release made it apparent that although Berlin desires to continue having a deep and extensive engagement with Beijing on matters of shared interest, a new strategy is needed when dealing with a country that is changing quickly and offers many and significant challenges to Germany’s interests.
China is now different. We must alter our approach to China as a consequence of this and China’s political policies, the letter said. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock saw this as a major foreign policy problem.
The 40-page report, which marked a departure from the period when commerce and bilateral relations flourished under former chancellor Angela Merkel, presented a chilly and damning image of contemporary China and its ambitions.
“The strategy confirms what the sparrows have been whistling from the rooftops for a long time: continuing chancellor Merkel’s China policy by other means is not an option for Germany in light of the changing reality,” said Reinhard Buetikofer, a powerful German member of the European Parliament.
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