CDU leader March calls for tougher China policy: Less dependency – “Write a price tag for Taiwan”

Created: 2022-04-06 11:04 am

By: Christiane Kuehl

The opposition leader and CDU chairman Friedrich Merz calls for a tougher approach to Beijing.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

The new CDU leader Friedrich Merz has spoken out in favor of a more robust China policy in Germany and Europe.

He calls for fewer dependencies and a "price tag" for Taiwan.

Berlin/Munich – CDU leader Friedrich March has spoken out in favor of a new policy towards China in view of the Ukraine war.

"We also have to rethink German and European China policy," Merz said on Deutschlandfunk on Wednesday.

Germany has become very one-sided dependent on Russia and mutually dependent on China.

This dependence on the People's Republic must be "reduced quickly and significantly".

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock recently made a similar statement.

The federal government will also work out a security policy realignment with a view to China, said the Green politician in a speech in mid-March.

"We have to face up to our economic dependencies intensively." Baerbock has long been an advocate of a more robust line towards China;

already in the 2021 election campaign she called for a mix of “dialogue and toughness”.

At the same time, since taking office, Baerbock has advocated a common European China policy.

She had campaigned in vain for a diplomatic EU boycott of the Olympics and even stayed away from the opening ceremony in Beijing.

It was always unclear to what extent Baerbock would be able to assert itself in the federal government.

For a long time, Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in favor of continuing the course of his predecessor Angela Merkel: staying in dialogue and supporting economic relations.

In view of China's rapprochement with Russia, Scholz said in his government statement in the Bundestag in December: "We must align our China policy with the China that we actually find." Scholz was referring, among other things, to human rights violations such as in Xinjiang.

In his speech, he offered cooperation with China, but pointed out differences.

“The Chinese leadership represents its interests with great self-confidence.

Germany and Europe have every reason to represent our interests with equal self-confidence and commitment.”

China's stance on Ukraine makes cooperation difficult

However, the planned development of the German China strategy is currently taking a back seat due to the war in Ukraine.

But it is clear that dealing with Beijing is currently also being made more difficult by China's attitude in the Ukraine war*: To this day, China has not uttered a critical word about the Russian invasion of Ukraine or atrocities by Russian soldiers like in Bucha.

Instead, it continues to spread Russian propaganda and lies, such as about alleged US bioweapons laboratories in Ukraine.

At the UN, Beijing abstained on anti-Russia resolutions.

At the same time, government representatives blame the USA and NATO for the escalation of the conflict.

The whole of Europe is currently finding it increasingly difficult to deal with China.

The latest sign of this: the virtual EU-China summit on Friday ended for the first time without a joint statement from both sides.

Europe and China: Stronger support for Taiwan - March calls for "price tag" for invasion

The harassment of EU member Lithuania also plays a role: China has been covering the small country with economic sanctions ever since Taiwan allowed it to open a representative office in Vilnius under its own name.

Since then, support for Taiwan has grown in Brussels.

With a view to the ongoing dispute between China and Taiwan, Merz now said: "China is threatening Taiwan militarily.

And we should put the price tag on it that the People's Republic of China and the Chinese government need to take note of.” The question at stake is how to inflate the financial and political costs of invading Taiwan to such an extent that Beijing is wary of an attack refrains.

The communist leadership in Beijing regards the democratically governed Taiwan as part of the People's Republic and has been threatening conquest for many years.

Some experts fear China could use the Russian attack on Ukraine as a blueprint for an invasion of Taiwan.

Taipei is therefore currently increasing its defense readiness.