שר החוץ הגרמני: לרוץ לזרועות סין הוא צעד שגוי, גם אם יש מתיחות מול ארה"ב

Germany's foreign minister is rejecting the idea of balancing between the U.S. and China. In Singapore, he sent a clear message. Berlin will always be closer to Washington than Beijing, and warns against embracing China despite strains with the U.S. China is still the same body and the Chinese system is still the same and the goals are the same and the threats for us for the international rules-based order and for our economy are still the same. Then running with open arms to President Xi and saying all the problems vanished in this very moment and we are only heading to become your big partner. This would be the wrong answer, I would say. Germany's foreign minister Johan van der Poel said on Monday during a visit to Singapore that despite disagreements with Washington over tariffs and Greenland, the United States remains Germany's and Europe's most important ally. I would reiterate that still the United States is the most important partner to Europe and to Germany. Still our security for Europe depends on the United States. Van der Poel has drawn a clear line not just on global ties but also on the Taiwan Strait. During a visit to Japan last August, he criticized China for repeatedly threatening to unilaterally change the status quo. He stressed that the United Nations Charter's ban on the use of force applies equally to the Taiwan Strait. And in an interview last October, he described the Taiwan Strait as a vital global trade route, warning that any military conflict there would have serious consequences for the global economy. Van der Poel also emphasized that Germany defines its own one-China policy, not Beijing. China strongly condemned those remarks and the German foreign minister's planned visit to China later that month was canceled, citing schedule conflicts. When Van der Poel did visit China in December, he urged Beijing to ease export restrictions on rare earths and semiconductors. He also called on China to use its influence with Russia to help end the war in Ukraine. This trip marks Van der Poel's first visit to Singapore since taking office. He has been pushing for the European Union to expand free trade agreements with Asia-Pacific partners. After his Singapore trip, he will travel to New Zealand and Australia.