Beijing criticizes Germany's Chinese strategy

Germany unveiled its first China strategy on Thursday, July 14, a document aimed at reducing the dependence of its companies on China. China on Friday criticized Germany's new strategy on relations with Beijing, calling it "counterproductive", after Berlin said it would reduce its dependence on the Chinese economy. Asked about the strategy document at a press briefing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin suggested the new policy would only hurt bilateral ties, saying Beijing preferred to see Berlin as a partner rather than a rival. "We believe it is counterproductive to compete and practice protectionism in the name of 'risk reduction' and 'dependency reduction', as well as overstretching the concept of security and politicizing normal cooperation. Such measures will only generate risks," he said, adding that Germany's approach will "exacerbate the division of the world."

Released by the German Foreign Ministry on Thursday, the strategy called China a "strategic rival" and called for a reduction in trade with the country. The 40-page document accuses Beijing of trying to make other nations "more dependent on China". He noted that Germany depends on China in several areas, including metals and rare earth elements, medical technology and pharmaceuticals, as well as information technology and products used to produce semiconductors. With bilateral trade reaching a record 300 billion euros ($337 billion) in 2022, China is currently Germany's biggest trading partner. Alluding to this strategy, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the goal was not to "disconnect" from the Chinese economy, but simply "to avoid critical dependencies in the future". He added that his administration needed to respond to Beijing's "more offensive stance" in recent years, calling for a "new framework" for relations.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson went on to say that cooperation with Berlin "far outweighs competition" and expressed hope that Germany would "adopt a rational and practical China policy". While underscoring its concerns about China, Germany's new strategy also includes plans to strengthen engagement with Beijing, saying it continues to be an "indispensable partner" on issues relating to climate change, food security, and international economic crisis mitigation and resolution. China criticizes Germany's new strategy to weaken Beijing.