German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned of a "terrifying scenario" in the event of "military escalation" in the Taiwan Strait. During a visit to Beijing on Friday, Baerbock stated that "any military escalation in the Taiwan Strait, through which 50% of global trade passes daily, would be a catastrophic scenario for the whole world." This warning follows days after the Chinese military conducted three days of drills near the self-governing island, "as a warning to separatist forces."
Additionally, Baerbock urged China to pressure Russia to stop the war in Ukraine, asserting that "no other country has more influence over Russia than China." At a press conference in Beijing alongside her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang, she questioned why the Chinese position still does not include a request for the Russian aggressor to cease the war. Baerbock's remarks come as Germany and its NATO allies continue to supply Ukraine with various types of weapons and financial support in hopes of achieving victory over Russia, which Moscow views as prolonging the war in Ukraine and adding fuel to the fire of tensions in Europe and the world. It is noteworthy that China had proposed a peace initiative for Ukraine, but it did not receive a positive response in the West, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree prohibiting any peace negotiations with Russia.
