The CDU foreign politician Norbert Röttgen accuses Chancellor Scholz of inaction on China policy. At the same time, he warns against provocations by the USA and demands that Europe must become a geopolitical power.
After his criticism of the statements made by French President Emmanuel Macron about China, the CDU foreign policy expert Norbert Röttgen is now attacking the German Chancellor. Before he left for a trip to the US, he spoke to t-online.
In an interview, he criticizes the German government’s dangerous failings in China policy, the lack of European unity and warns of the impending consequences that would destroy our prosperity. Röttgen is also concerned about political developments in the USA that would unnecessarily provoke China.
t-online: Mr. Röttgen, you recently sharply criticized French President Emmanuel Macron for his statements on China. Couldn’t you be thankful too? An important debate is finally taking place about future European China policy.
Norbert Rottgen: Looking for something good in Macron’s statements does not lead to the goal. The damage he has caused is simply too great – in Europe and in the USA. In China, his statements about alleged European vassalage under the United States fueled the impression of a lack of unity between Europe and the West. In the US, he has damaged confidence in us as allies.
Macron warned against adapting to an American rhythm in the conflict with China. You are in the USA right now. The discussion about China is actually more aggressive and militarized there than in Germany and Europe. Doesn’t that worry you?
There are developments in the USA that also worry me. I am not in favor of a cold war with China. Much more will be said about this. But Macron failed to state clearly: First, we are not vassals, nor is there concern about a vassal relationship; and secondly, the conflict over Taiwan is not initiated by the USA, but by China. We Europeans have an obligation to the Americans regarding our attitude towards China, which consists in creating European clarity. We must not only reject behavior by China that violates international law, but also credibly underpin it with the threatening consequences.
US President Joe Biden has announced several times that in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, he will not only support the country with arms deliveries, but will even defend it with his own soldiers. Shouldn’t the Europeans get involved at least as logically as they are currently doing in Ukraine?
We’d lose all credibility if we said Taiwan is too far away, we don’t care. With regard to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, we say exactly the opposite to the many distant countries. However, if the worst came to the worst, we would neither be in demand nor in a position to get involved militarily. But we would have to condemn such aggression and subject it to economic sanctions. That would entail the danger of massive retaliatory actions by China against Germany as well. That’s why we have to prepare.
It is, because the federal government’s current China policy keeps us in this dangerous state of dependency and lack of preparation. Reprisals would therefore hit us extremely hard and endanger our prosperity. There is potentially hardly any area of the German economy that would not be significantly affected. That would be far worse than the energy issue in the case of Russia and would trigger a global economic meltdown.
But is it wise to instead put ourselves in a state of dependency on America that we haven’t had for a long time?
We are allies, partners and we are friends. But one thing is perfectly clear: the US has always, and always will, defend its own interests in a robust manner. Without batting an eyelid and without a guilty conscience. I’m not for a romantic or naive relationship, but here again for realism. But that also includes seeing that in the current war situation in Europe, the decisive European security power is the USA. We will only change that if we Europeans become stronger, in terms of security policy and technology.
But how is the notoriously divided Europe, with countries like Orbán’s Hungary, supposed to catch up with the world powers?
