Rülke warns: "Don't want a cold war with China"
Created: 01/03/2022, 4:58 pm
Hans-Ulrich Rülke speaks at a special session of the state parliament.
© Bernd Weißbrod / dpa / archive image
Shortly before the traditional Epiphany meeting of the FDP, the Baden-Württemberg parliamentary group leader Hans-Ulrich Rülke warned not to neglect Germany's economic interests in China policy.
"The Federal Foreign Minister would be well advised to insist on the observance of human rights on the one hand, but also not to forget what an important economic and trading partner the People's Republic of China is on the other," said Rülke of the German Press Agency in Stuttgart.
Stuttgart - The German foreign policy will also be the subject of the Epiphany meeting of the FDP on Thursday in Stuttgart.
It is necessary for the FDP to show its colors, said Rülke.
The SPD, Greens and FDP sit in the new federal government with traffic lights.
It is also important for the liberals to demand compliance with the most democratic practices possible, said Rülke.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is trying to set different accents than the government of Angela Merkel (CDU).
"But on the other hand, we also have to make it clear that the economic interests of the Federal Republic of Germany, especially of a country like Baden-Württemberg, in China are such that we do not want to start the Cold War with China now."
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Foreign Minister Baerbock had spoken out in favor of a tougher course towards China shortly before taking office.
A value-based foreign policy must always be an interplay of dialogue and rigor, she said at the time.
In a dpa interview a few days ago, she spoke out in favor of the triad “partner, competitor and system rival” when dealing with China.
China has been criticized for human rights violations in its dealings with Uyghurs and Tibetans, the threats against Taiwan and the suppression of the democracy movement in Hong Kong.
dpa
