Annalena Baerbock said a Russian victory in Ukraine could serve as an example for other authoritarian leaders, including the president of China
Annalena Baerbock and Xi Jinping
247 German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock sparked a diplomatic crisis with China by calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a “dictator.” During an interview with the US channel Fox News this Thursday (14), Baerbock expressed his opinion that Ukraine must win in the war against Russia, emphasizing that a Russian victory will serve as an example for other authoritarian leaders, including Xi Jinping could. The minister also emphasized the West’s direct involvement in the Ukraine conflict, using the pronoun “we”.
Baerbock’s statement could be related to the delicate situation around Taiwan, which worsened after the then Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, visited the island at the beginning of August last year. China views Taiwan as an integral part of its territory and strongly condemned Pelosi’s visit, which conducted largescale military exercises in the region.
China is Germany’s most important trading partner. In July, German authorities published a strategy towards China that calls for a “change in approach” towards the PRC and the establishment of new parameters of cooperation. The aim of the strategy is to show ways and instruments how the federal government can work with China without endangering Germany’s way of life, sovereignty, prosperity, security and partnerships with other countries.
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