While Western countries took a tough stance against the Beijing administration due to China’s strengthening economy and increasing influence; Germany has adopted a different attitude from the European Union (EU) countries and has avoided criticizing China. Successful investments made by China in the technology and infrastructure sectors, and the effectiveness of these investment networks in Europe and especially in Germany have begun to worry the EU countries, Australia, Canada and the USA. Germany, one of the strongest economies in Europe, acts strategically in its relations with China and keeps its economy ahead of politics.
When the relations on the Berlin-Beijing line are considered in the historical context, Germany, which has a strong position among EU countries both economically and politically, wanted to benefit from China’s increasing power in the international arena and to balance this power on the other. In this context, the Berlin administration has adopted a foreign policy understanding that sees Beijing as both a competitor and a partner. In other words, Germany keeps the economy above politics in its relations with China.
During the Angela Merkel administration, which started in 2005 and continued uninterruptedly for 16 years, the main priority was given to economic cooperation, although criticisms about China came to the fore from time to time. Especially the global economic crisis in 2008 and Merkel’s emphasis on strengthening the economy in Germany-China relations in the ongoing process confirms this.The relations with China and the road map to be followed by the new government, which was formed by the coalition of the Social Democrats, Free Democratic Party and the Green Party in 2021 after the Merkel period, have been a matter of curiosity. In fact, the Olaf Scholz administration has adopted a harsher policy compared to the Merkel era.
Although the situation in question caused minor tensions, the new government did not ignore China’s power and adopted a pragmatic understanding in its foreign policy, as it puts national interests above all else.This has revealed that Germany wants to continue its economic cooperation with China.
Despite this, the coalition partners’ different views on relations with China adversely affected the stable structure of relations between the two countries.Although the Social Democrats and the Free Democratic Party, which are the coalition partners in Chinese foreign policy, care about economic relations, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, a member of the Green Party, which is the smallest partner of the coalition, sometimes criticizes China and It is seen that it casts a shadow on the positive mood in relations with China.
Even though German Foreign Minister Baerbock wanted to continue the harsh policy of the EU against China, Prime Minister Olaf Scholz and his cabinet adopted an understanding that prioritizes the economy over politics, as in the Merkel period. In this sense, the Berlin administration has frequently made statements reassuring stability in its meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The efforts of the USA, which is seen as an ally with Germany, to keep Berlin away from Beijing were not accepted in China-Germany relations and became invalid. Berlin, which has the same political understanding and attitude towards China as the United States on human rights, has avoided cooperating with Washington in its foreign policy when it comes to economic relations.
In recent years, economic activities have been decisive in China’s European policy, especially in its relations with Germany, and both countries have adopted a pragmatic understanding in their foreign policies.
China, with which Germany has made the biggest commercial cooperation for the last six years, also affects Germany’s relations with EU member states.The abstention of Belin in the decisions taken by the EU countries regarding China and the fact that he adopts a different strategy against China than the EU member states brings the EU countries and Germany into conflict. In the face of the situation in question, EU countries put pressure on Germany at every opportunity that they should carry out common policies against China.
Despite the pressures of the EU, China; continues its economically critical investments such as energy, telecommunication, infrastructure and electronics in Germany and increases its efficiency through purchasing. Chinese investments in Germany are perceived by the EU Commission as a threat rather than a commercial partnership. Although China is Germany’s largest trading partner, the trade volume between the two countries has exceeded 246 billion dollars according to the data of 2021.[1]
As a result, although Germany is a strong member of the EU, its relations with China are not as EU members; Focusing on its own foreign policy, it conducts it steadily and adopts a different strategy from Western countries, always keeping its economic relations above politics, despite the power rivalries, diplomatic tensions and disagreements among them.
[1]“Almanya ile Çin Arasındaki Ticaret Hacmi Geçen Yıl 245 Milyar Euroyu Aştı”, Euronews, https://tr.euronews.com/2022/11/04/cine-olan-ekonomik-bagimlilik-almanlari-endiselendiriyor-analiz,(Date of accession: 28.05.2023).
