China’s top diplomat urges German FM to oppose Taiwan ‘separatist activities’

Beijing, April 15 (EFE).- China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on Saturday urged Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to firmly oppose Taiwan “separatist activities” and support a “peaceful reunification” with the self-governing island.

Wang, director of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China, said during a meeting with Baerbock that China once supported German reunification and hopes Germany will support China’s “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan.

“To maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait, it is necessary to firmly oppose separatist activities related to ‘Taiwan independence,’” said Wang, according to local media.

Wang added that China is willing to strengthen communication with Germany and prepare for a new round of consultations between the two countries.

Baerbock warned Friday after a meeting with her Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, that “a military escalation in the Taiwan Strait, through which fifty percent of world trade flows every day, would be a horror scenario for the entire world.”

“The shockwave of such a world economic crisis would also hit China and Germany as special trading nations,” she said.

The German minister confirmed that her country remains committed to the “one China” policy but, at the same time, the Berlin government is concerned about the current situation around the island of Taiwan.

For his part, Qin reiterated that Taiwan is part of China and it rejects foreign intervention in the affairs related to the island. He added that if countries that subscribe to the “one China” principle, then they should reject what he called “separatist activities” in that territory.

With the German minister’s trip to China, the strategic dialogue that both countries began in 2014 was resumed.

The Greens minister arrived in the Tianjin metropolis on Thursday, where she visited a school and a wind energy company and, later, in the company of Qin, an electromobility company.

Later Saturday, the minister will travel to South Korea, where she will visit the demilitarized zone that separates the country from North Korea and hold a strategic dialogue with her Korean counterpart in Seoul, as well as meet with refugees from the North.

The next day she will travel to Japan, where she will participate in the G7 foreign ministers meeting that will discuss issues such as relations with China, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the war in Ukraine. EFE jco/tw