Enlarge image
The head of the German delegation, Klaus-Peter Willsch, is received by the Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister
Photo: Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs / picture alliance / dpa / Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
After the Chinese protest against the visit of members of the Bundestag to Taiwan, the head of the delegation spoke of an exaggerated reaction.
The CDU politician Klaus-Peter Willsch said in Taipei that the parliamentary group maintains foreign policy relations with the Taiwanese parliament, which also includes mutual visits at irregular intervals.
»The problem is not the peaceful journey to a democracy.
It's the complete overreaction of a nervous dictatorship that responds to words with rockets and military aggression," said Willsch.
"An exchange of parliamentarians must not serve as a pretext for saber-rattling behavior on the part of the Chinese communists, nor as an excuse for further violations of Taiwan's sea and air space," said the CDU politician.
This also referred to China's harsh response to the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in August.
In response, China launched large-scale maneuvers and has since maintained military pressure with increased deployments of warships and aircraft near Taiwan.
The Chinese leadership regards Taiwan as part of the People's Republic and rejects official contacts from other countries to Taipei.
Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that should be reunited with the mainland - if necessary with military force.
kae/dpa