China-Germany relations: engage, don’t isolate, foreign ministers urge European Union
- Heiko Maas and Wang Yi make the case against decoupling as Xinjiang sanctions cloud investment deal
- Call comes in the countdown to the departure of German Chancellor
The call for cooperation came during a video conference on Wednesday between German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
Wang said China and Germany should ensure the stability of global industrial and supply chains and resist decoupling, according to a statement released by the Chinese foreign ministry.
“China does not approve of division based on ideology and engaging in new collective confrontations. It is even more opposed to engaging in ‘small cliques’, advocating a ‘new cold war’, and even arbitrarily imposing unilateral sanctions based on false information,” Wang was quoted as saying.
“China and Germany should jointly be defenders of multilateralism and contributors to global development.”
Before the meeting, Maas stressed the need for strong communication with Beijing.
“In the European Union, we have been describing China as a partner, competitor and systemic rival at the same time,” he said.