An announcement by Annalena Baerbock angered a state-financed Chinese newspaper. What’s behind the paper’s criticism?
Unusual accusation from a newspaper financed by Beijing this week: In a report in the Chinese daily newspaper “Gobal Times”, the authors accuse German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and her party of having “right-wing extremist” attitudes. The “Bild” newspaper first noticed this.
In the report, the authors of the country’s second-largest English-language daily newspaper (circulation is said to be around 260,000) praise Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s China policy, while criticizing Baerbock’s statements on her recent trip through the Indo-Pacific.
Chinese newspaper: Praise for Scholz – criticism of the Greens
The report features a Chinese political scientist who explains to the paper’s readers that the German Greens are “strongly ideological” and would give priority to their values and security concerns over economic cooperation with China. Therefore, there could be tensions between the two countries in the future – which in turn should please the USA, the scientist continued.
According to the Federal Agency for Civic Education, the Global Times “often publishes nationalist and anti-Western comments, which do not necessarily reflect the line of the Communist Party.”
The actual reason for the Chinese criticism of the Green Foreign Minister could be that Baerbock announced a training mission for the frigate “Baden-Württemberg” in the South China Sea on Monday – and a possible passage through the Taiwan Strait. The island state and its surroundings are claimed by China. The Taiwan Strait is considered an international body of water.
Bundeswehr frigate could sail through the Taiwan Strait
According to the Federal Ministry of Defense, the warship, accompanied by a supply ship, will be present on shipping routes in order to maintain freedom of sea routes and contribute to monitoring sanctions against North Korea. A Navy spokeswoman said it was a training and presence trip and not an operation. The ships are supposed to meet at sea.
At the weekend, Baerbock said she could imagine the Bundeswehr frigate “Baden-Württemberg” crossing the Taiwan Strait on the mission. During her visit to New Zealand, the Green politician said Baerbock then emphasized that the “right of peaceful passage” also applies to the Taiwan Strait, but also said that the route of the “Baden-Württemberg” would not be announced in advance.
With a new Indo-Pacific strategy in 2020, Germany has decided to show its colors militarily in the region, which is becoming increasingly important in terms of security policy and in which China is acting more and more aggressively. The “Baden-Württemberg” training mission is part of this strategy.
