Status: 18/09/2023, 16:04 p.m.
By: Sonja Thomaser
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A spokeswoman for the Chinese government called Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's statement a "serious violation of China's political dignity" and a "provocation".
Beijing - China has sharply criticized German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) for calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a "dictator". The government was highly dissatisfied with the remark of the Green politician, it was said from Beijing.
Baerbock's remarks were "extremely absurd and a serious violation of China's political dignity and an open political provocation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday. Beijing is "deeply dissatisfied" and will make diplomatic representations to the German side.
Annalena Baerbock (The Greens), foreign minister, is criticized by China. © Michael Kappeler/dpa
Baerbock spoke about the war in Ukraine in an interview with the right-wing US channel Fox News last week on Thursday (14 September) during her visit to the US, saying: "If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin were to win this war, what would it be a sign for other dictators in the world, like Xi, like the Chinese president? That's why Ukraine has to win this war."
Baerbock calls Xi Jinping dictator: Scholz does not comment
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) did not want to comment on the foreign minister's statements. "As a matter of principle, the Chancellor does not evaluate statements made by his cabinet colleagues," said Deputy Government Spokesman Wolfgang Büchner in Berlin. It is clear "that China is ruled by a communist one-party regime, and it is also clear that this does not correspond to our ideas of democracy."
Asked whether Baerbock's remarks had damaged relations with China in the chancellor's opinion, Büchner replied: "I don't want to speculate about that."
There is no mention of China as a "dictatorship" in the strategy paper
In July, the German government issued comprehensive guidelines for dealing with China for the first time and, after months of internal coalition debates, adopted its China strategy. This is intended to show a way in which Germany can further expand its economic and political cooperation with the Asian superpower without endangering its own values and interests. China is Germany's most important trading partner.
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There is no mention of China as a "dictatorship" in the strategy paper. "Above all, the China strategy is aimed at us," said a spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office on Monday. The People's Republic remains a "partner, competitor and systemic rival" for Germany.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman defended that Baerbock gave an interview to the right-wing channel Fox News during her visit to the United States. During the visit, the Federal Foreign Minister was "explicitly" concerned with using "channels with which one might reach a population group that one does not reach with an interview in the 'New York Times', for example". (SOT with AFP/RTR)
