German Foreign Minister Calls for Caution in Relations With China

She has said Germany must face “the competition of the” systems among states that believe in international law and authoritarian regimes.

“We need to learn from our policy mistakes to Russia in recent decades”, Baerbox said at a forum for foreign policy in Berlin.

I'd say very clearly that one-sided economic dependence exposes us to the political explosion”.

“As for Russia this thing is committed to”, Baerbox said, acknowledging that Germany has ignored partner warnings from Europe's birth to Russian energy dependence.

We have to make sure we don't make that mistake anymore, and that means we have to keep that fact in mind in our policies towards China”.

It has mentioned that “strategy for national security” is being drafted by the Chancellor's Government, Olaf Scholz and it will include Germany's strategy with China.

In the past two decades, German governments have increased economic ties with Russia especially in the energy sector, despite criticism from Europe's east for gas pipelines sending Russian gas from Russia directly to Germany.

After Russia's war began in Ukraine, German authorities are trying to reduce dependence on Russian energy as much as possible.

German companies have also invested heavily in China in recent years, and now China is one of Germany's biggest trading partners.

The Scholz government has been more cautious towards Beijing than other governments since it took office last month.

Scholz has also made his first visit to Asia to the state of Japan and not to China.

Currently in China is being held the Communist Party Congress, in which Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to win a third term in power. / REL/