Germany has suggested more tensions with China in the coming years, amid expectations that Beijing will move to annex Taiwan by 2027 at the latest, according to a leaked document published by local media.
The German Ministry of Economy’s strategic paper warned that close economic relations between Germany and China might make Berlin vulnerable to diplomatic pressure from Beijing in the coming years, and proposed measures to reduce dependence on China, according to the “Pioneer” news portal, in a report Thursday.
According to the report, experts suggested “focusing on alternative markets and manufacturing centers”.
“While China reduces its dependence on foreign partners, its economic importance to the European Union and Germany has continued to grow,” the report said.
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China is currently Germany’s largest trading partner in goods, and bilateral trade between them will reach 245 billion euros ($256 billion) in 2021.
Last November, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Germany would adopt a new strategy in its relations with China, saying it was a “systematic partner and competitor.”