China hopes Germany will support Taiwan’s “peaceful reunification” with China

China hopes that the German government will support the PRC in the issue of “peaceful reunification with Taiwan”, as official Beijing once supported the reunification of Germany.

This was stated on Saturday, April 15, by the head of the office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Wang Yi at a meeting with the head of the German Foreign Ministry Annalena Burbockreports Reuters.

“In order to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait, it is necessary to resolutely counter the separatist activities associated with calls for Taiwan independence,” a high-ranking Chinese diplomat stressed.

According to Wang Yi, the return of Taiwan to China is an important component of the international order after World War II. The head of the Foreign Policy Commission of the Communist Party Central Committee also pointed out that the pro-Taiwan independence forces on the island are trying to “undermine the status quo” and “jeopardize peace” in the region.

“China once supported the reunification of Germany, we hope and believe that Germany will also support China’s great cause of peaceful reunification,” Wang Yi recalled.

The head of the German Foreign Ministry, in turn, noted that official Berlin understands the importance and sensitivity of the Taiwan issue for Beijing and adheres to the “one China” policy.

The day before, the German Foreign Minister said during a joint conference with her Chinese counterpart Qin Gangthat a unilateral violent change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait region would be unacceptable.

China should not resort to military force to resolve the conflict, Burbock said, because the destabilization of the situation in the Taiwan Strait would have “dramatic consequences for every country in the world, and therefore for the entire world economy.”

“Conflicts must be resolved peacefully. A unilateral violent change in the status quo would be unacceptable for us Europeans,” the minister said, adding that Germany is following developments in the Taiwan Strait region with great concern. “A military escalation in the Taiwan Strait, through which 50% of world trade passes daily, would be a dire scenario for the entire world,” Burbock concluded.

The head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, in turn, stressed that Taiwan is part of China, and the solution of the Taiwan issue does not allow “outside interference.”

According to Qin Gang, if other states “really respect” the One China principle, they should reject any separatist activity in Taiwan. China will not give up “an inch of its territory,” he concluded.

Differences between the heads of the foreign affairs agencies also emerged when discussing the situation with human rights in China.

“The last thing China needs is a Western teacher” Qin Gang retorted the criticism of the German colleague.

“Each state has its own characteristics, cultural and historical background. When it comes to human rights, there are no uniform standards in the world”, he concluded.

The head of the German Foreign Ministry objected that there are “uniform standards” in the field of human rights in the world, reminding her Chinese colleague of the UN Charter and the UN Convention on Human Rights. They contain “universal” norms that all UN states must comply with, Burbock concluded.

The German Foreign Minister arrived in China on April 13, her visit will last until Sunday, after which Burbock will travel to South Korea and Japan. In South Korea, Burbock will visit the demilitarized zone (April 15-16), and in Japan (April 16-18) he will take part in a meeting of foreign ministers of the G7 countries.