Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang announced today that "China is ready to work with Germany in the fields of economy and trade, and that the two countries are partners, not adversaries." During a joint press conference with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, Qin stated, "Deliberately stifling natural economic and trade cooperation will yield counterproductive results." He also addressed the issue of Ukraine, noting that "China is willing to continue working for peace. Our role in the Ukraine matter boils down to one point: persuasion and calling for dialogue, and we will do nothing to add fuel to the fire," expressing hope that "all parties in the crisis will remain objective and calm and work together."
Regarding the situation with Taiwan, Qin mentioned that "if countries wish to respect the principle of 'one China,' the appropriate action is to firmly oppose Taiwan's independence." Annalena Baerbock, for her part, stated that any attempt by China to control Taiwan would be unacceptable and would have serious repercussions in Europe. She added, "Any military escalation in the Taiwan Strait, through which... 50 percent of global trade passes daily, would be a horrific scenario for the entire world," and would have "inevitable repercussions" for European interests. Recently, China conducted military exercises around Taiwan, stating that it tested integrated military capabilities under actual combat conditions and trained for targeted strikes and simulating a blockade of the island, which it considers part of its territory.
