German minister Michael Roth urges EU to resist China’s ‘divide-and-rule tactics’
- China described as a systemic rival that has ‘unfortunately’ challenged Europe’s ‘foundation of values’
- Hong Kong called an ‘acid test’ and reliance on Huawei for 5G mobile equipment also is questioned
There will be “no business as usual” between the European Union and China following the assertive political moves on Hong Kong, Germany’s Europe minister has warned, urging fellow EU nations not to “be afraid to lock horns” with Beijing.
In a critical assessment of China’s recent manoeuvres, Michael Roth also signalled that Berlin would make it a priority this year to step up the 27-nations’ capability to resist Beijing’s divide-and-rule tactics within the bloc.
Roth, the second most senior official in the federal foreign office, questioned EU countries’ reliance on China’s Huawei Technologies, saying they should “first and foremost” consider European suppliers of 5G mobile equipment.
In language that is likely to infuriate China, the German minister referred to China by its autocratic political structure, casting it as a systemic rival that has “unfortunately” challenged Europe’s “foundation of values”.
“The leadership of the authoritarian, one-party state passes up no opportunity to drive a wedge between the EU member states and weaken them,” Roth said. “It compromises our credibility and weakens us all if individual members are prepared to undermine European human rights policy for the sake of a supposedly lucrative bilateral ‘deal’ with China.”