Germany will raise military spending next year and send troops to deploy with Australia in the Indo-Pacific region to counter China, including sending cruisers to patrol the Indian Ocean. Germany’s defense minister also announced the abandonment of Huawei’s telecommunications equipment, and warned Beijing of the threat to Taiwan. Commentators say Germany will work with the West to curb China’s expanding ambitions.
German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer recently told Australian media that according to Germany’s “Indo-Pacific Strategic Policy Guidelines” released earlier, Germany will send troops to deploy with the Australian Navy in the Indo-Pacific region next year, including sending cruisers to patrol the Indian Ocean.
Taiwan political scientist Li Youtan told the station that Germany has come to realize the expansionist nature of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the wake of the U.S. and international shift in strategy toward China, as well as China’s concealment of the neo-crown epidemic and the introduction of Hong Kong’s National Security Law.
First, Germany discovered that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) did not abide by the rules and wanted to expand globally; second, through the CCP’s suppression of Hong Kong, they saw that the CCP was hegemonic, evil and had no bottom line; third, through the epidemic, they saw that the CCP concealed the epidemic, spread the epidemic and even shrugged it off.
Li Youtan also believed that Kallenbauer broke with the conservative and middle-of-the-road political attitude of European countries and represented Germany’s final cooperation with the international democratic defense line dominated by the United States.
Li Youtan said: Germany added to the Indo-Pacific region through the connection with Australia this time. Although they have the largest trade ties with China, they have changed their original appeasement and stressed the need for value-based principles, it also emphasizes that the Chinese Communist Party is the biggest enemy of the free world in the future, Germany is the center of gravity of the whole of Europe, which means that Germany is leading the whole of Europe to join the Asia-Pacific region (strategy), and behind Australia is the “Five Eyes Alliance”. Germany and the U.S.-dominated international order are combined and cooperatively linked to form the defense line of liberal democracy.
German legal scholar Qian Yuejun pointed out that the Karen Bauer’s position is significant, on behalf of NATO countries began to pay attention to the Indo-Pacific region, Germany with its influence in international politics, to make this strategy will greatly help the liberal democratic camp.
Qian Yuejun said: NATO countries are beginning to pay attention to the Indo-Pacific region, and entrust Germany to contact the liberal democratic countries in Asia and Australia to become a new strategic partner of NATO. Therefore, the German defense minister’s contact and dialogue with Australia, both on behalf of Germany, but also on behalf of the NATO military alliance. Germany’s involvement in defence matters in the Indo-Pacific region is very important in international politics and in the regional politics of the Indo-Pacific. Germany is clearly on the opposite side of the authoritarian policies of the Chinese Communist Party, then it is an inspiration and most substantial support to the liberal democratic camp in terms of international politics, economy, military and reputation.
Qian also believes that behind this military action, Germany, as the economic locomotive of the EU, will also drive the EU to adjust its trade policy with China.
Qian said that it is only a matter of time for Germany to gradually withdraw its enterprises from China due to both economic and political considerations. Since the Sino-American trade war, the EU has become the only straw that the CPC can count on to get foreign exchange, and Germany is the EU’s economic locomotive. So, now Germany and the entire EU is adjusting its trade policy towards China and will continue to reduce trade and investment in China, especially in high technology.
He said Germany has long been concerned about security in the Indo-Pacific region and is aware of the Chinese Communist Party’s ambitions for neo-colonial expansion through the “Belt and Road” initiative. He said the United States, Britain and France had sent warships to the South China Sea several times to declare freedom of navigation, and Germany had discussed last year whether to send warships to the South China Sea in solidarity with Europe, America and Asia. The German-Australian military cooperation is the result of a waterway.
Kallenbauer, 58, was elected party president of Germany’s CDU in 2018 and was seen as Merkel’s successor. But in February this year, she announced she would not run in the 2021 chancellor’s election and would relinquish the party presidency.
She confirmed in this Australian media visit that Germany is working within NATO to strengthen cooperation with countries like Australia in the Indo-Pacific region. But Kallenbauer did not elaborate on whether the German ship would sail in the South China Sea.
She said that the Indo-Pacific is a key region for the welfare of the world and the presence of the German navy in the Indo-Pacific will help maintain international order. Despite the impact of the new coronavirus epidemic on Germany’s budget, in view of the growing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, Germany will raise its defense budget and spending in 2021.
Kahlenbauer also spoke out about Europe’s growing awareness of China’s economic and geopolitical strategy over the past year, saying that while China is an important trading partner for Germany with strong economic ties that are in the interest of both sides, Germany will not turn a blind eye to China’s unequal investment conditions, intellectual property theft, and distorted competition with state subsidies.
Kallenbauer also made clear his position on Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, saying that Germany is open to all parties in principle, but will abandon the use of technology provided to Germany if it is not beyond reproach. China and Germany have serious political differences, China is a country that understands the political implications of cyber, and Europe should use technology that we trust,” he said.
Kallenbauer stressed that the West needs to become more united in its dealings with Beijing, and that the United States and Europe need to unite against Russian and Chinese Communist hegemony.
Recent Comments