Dealing with China continues to cause headaches for the traffic light coalition. Before Olaf Scholz left for Beijing, FDP Secretary General Djir-Sarai formulated clear expectations of the Chancellor.
Before Chancellor Olaf Scholz's trip to China, FDP Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai criticizes. "I find the timing of this trip extremely unfortunate," said Djir-Sarai on the ntv program "Frühstart" and called for a new course in dealing with China: "We need a new China strategy." Most recently, there was displeasure in the governing coalition that the Federal Chancellery, contrary to the votes of the responsible ministries, pushed through a minority stake for the Chinese state-owned company Cosco in one of Hamburg's port terminals.
Mistakes made in Russia policy should not be repeated, Djir-Sarai warned. The turning point proclaimed by the chancellor must therefore also have an impact on China policy. "China is an important trading partner, but also a systemic rival. Everyone who says the word turning point should be aware of that," said the FDP Secretary General, emphasizing: "Never again to be economically dependent on an autocratic state : That also means a turning point."
Germany is already very dependent on China - but China also needs Germany, emphasized Djir-Sarai. "I'm not saying that we shouldn't have any economic relations, but we mustn't be naïve. I recommend that we be vigilant and pursue realpolitik." Above all, the FDP general secretary criticized the fact that German investments in China's critical infrastructure would be prohibited, while it works the other way around: "In my view, that is naïve and is not a turning point."
China is no longer the country it was 20 years ago, Djir-Sarai emphasized: "The world we live in has changed dramatically. China pursues interest-based politics, but we should also pay attention to our interests." During his trip to China, the Chancellor should therefore not only address the subject of human rights in the back room. "I expect a chancellor to say very clearly where we stand and what we expect from China," said Djir-Sarai.
"I think it's important to also address the issue of Taiwan on a trip like this," said Djir-Sarai. The Chinese leadership around President Xi Jinping had recently intensified threatening gestures towards Taiwan and expressly cited violence as a legitimate means of fully integrating the island, which is striving for independence, into the People's Republic of China.
