(Adnkronos) – Exchange between Berlin and Beijing. Visiting Tokyo, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul accused China not only of providing decisive support to Russia in the war against Ukraine, but also of having an aggressive attitude in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Beijing’s reply came through Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, who reiterated that “the Taiwan issue is China’s internal affair” and that the one-China principle constitutes “a basic norm of international relations and a broad consensus of the international community”.
Speaking at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Wadephul stated that “Russia’s war is made possible by China’s crucial support”, recalling that “80 percent of the dual-use goods employed by Russia come from China” and that Beijing “is the largest buyer of Russian oil and gas”. A framework that, he stressed, “contrasts not only with European security interests, but also with those of our partners in the Indo-Pacific”. The German minister added that “China preaches the principles of non-interference and territorial integrity, but in reality undermines them” and denounced that “if Russia fires North Korean bullets at Ukraine today, then this not only weakens the security order in Europe, but also alters the balance of power in Asia”.
On the Asian front, Wadephul expressed “deep concern about developments in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, where Beijing repeatedly, more or less openly, threatens to unilaterally change the status quo”. Mao Ning replied that “to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it is essential to firmly uphold the one-China principle and oppose the separatist activities of ‘Taiwan independence'”. The spokeswoman – quoted by the Global Times – finally stressed that “the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea remains generally stable” and invited “the parties concerned to respect the joint efforts of the countries of the region to resolve the issues through dialogue and consultation, rather than fueling confrontation or fomenting tensions”.
