Berlin’s shift on China policy is result of Beijing’s changed behaviour, German envoy says

Beijing’s changing behaviour towards Europe has compelled Berlin to re-evaluate its China policy, a top German diplomat said on Friday.

Speaking at the Hudson Institute in Washington, Thomas Bagger, state secretary at the German foreign ministry, declared that Germany’s stance towards Beijing has moved to a heightened rivalry, a response to Beijing’s actions rather than pressure from Washington.

“It’s quite clear that the emphasis has shifted from a focus on partnership and cooperation to more competition,” Bagger said as he acknowledged that decoupling from China would “hurt our economy tremendously”.

Even so, Germany seeks to reduce its dependency vulnerabilities in areas like technology, critical minerals, even medical equipment, Bagger noted: “China’s approach to us, to its neighbours, to the international arena has changed in a way that forces us to revisit our own China policy”.

Bagger reiterated that European officials don’t agree with the US “on everything”: “Our policy or China strategy or changing approach is a reaction to your policies, to your actions … We’re not America’s poodle,” he said.