‘Ukraine top priority’: German Foreign Minister Baerbock arrives in China on ‘damage control’ mission

Beijing: Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has begun her three-day tour to China. Her visit comes at the time of increased Chinese military drills around Taiwan, which she condemned on Wednesday.

The visit of the German foreign minister also comes amid the controversy surrounding French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments on his way back from China last week.

Macron had said that Europe must resist pressure to be an American “vassal” and should avoid getting dragged into a confrontation between China and US over Taiwan.

Before embarking for China, Baerbock said she would give utmost priority to discussion on Ukraine war with Chinese officials. She said that as a permanent member of the United Nation Security Council, China bears “special responsibility for world peace.”

“What role China plays with its influence on Russia will have consequences for the whole of Europe and our relationship with China,” she said.

Germany Foreign Minister in China

The German Foreign Minister will spend the first two days in the northern metropolis of Tianjin. She will be visiting school with German ties after which she will head to a German-owned wind turbine factory.

On Friday, she will hold talks with her Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang. The two are expected to take a high-speed train to Beijing, around 150 kilometers (93 miles) away.

She will also meet Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng and Wang Yi.

German foreign ministry, in a statement, said in her meeting with Chinese officials, Baerbock would discuss Taiwan, Ukraine, human rights among other issues.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Baerbock described Germany’s biggest trading partner, China, as a “competitor”, “systemic rival” and “global player that increasingly wants to shape the world order according to its own designs”.

Speaking about the agenda of her China visit, the German foreign minister said, “At the top of my agenda … is our interest in bringing the war on our European doorstep in Ukraine to a swift, lasting and just end.”

“The role that China plays with its influence vis‑à‑vis Russia will have consequences for the whole of Europe and for our relationship with China,” she added.

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