Coronavirus: Germany ‘rejected China’s bid for positive spin’ on pandemic response

China asked Germany to put Chinese efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic in a positive light but Berlin rejected the request, German officials have said, countering statements by Chinese diplomats.

The comments came to light on the weekend, just days after diplomatic sources in Europe said the European Union toned down a report detailing Chinese disinformation campaigns amid threats from Beijing.

They also come as some Conservative Party parliamentarians in Britain have formed a new group to reassess relations with China.

According to the German interior ministry, Chinese diplomats approached German government officials to encourage them to speak out in favour of Beijing’s response to the pandemic.

“The German government is aware of individual contacts made by Chinese diplomats with the aim of effecting positive public statements on the coronavirus management by the People’s Republic of China,” the ministry said in a letter to the Bundestag. “The federal government has not complied with these requests.”

The letter, dated April 22, was sent to Green Party legislator Margarete Bause, one of the fiercest critics in Germany of the Chinese Communist Party, in response to her question on whether Chinese diplomats had contacted German officials with the goal of encouraging them to make positive remarks.

The ministry said the government had acknowledged China’s efforts to contain the pandemic, particularly since January 23, even without being asked to do so by Beijing.

It also said that Berlin had told Beijing that it believed that transparency was important for combating the pandemic, without saying whether it believed the Chinese government had been transparent.

News of the letter emerged on Sunday, the same day that the Chinese embassy in Berlin dismissed an earlier media report saying Chinese diplomats asked their German counterparts to send positive messages to recognise Beijing’s efforts.

The Chinese diplomatic moves were first reported on April 12 by German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

The Chinese embassy accused the newspaper of “inaccurate and irresponsible reporting” that was filled with “arrogance and a feel-good attitude”.

The embassy said China’s effort “has been fully recognised and widely praised by the international community, and this could not be rewritten by individual media outlets”.

Mikko Huotari, head of German think tank the Mercator Institute of China Studies, noted that the interior ministry, which handles issues related to disinformation, had written the response and not the foreign ministry.

“What it signals is that China has become domestic politics for Germany, and not just a foreign affairs issue,” Huotari said. “This points to the new reality of our relationship with China.”

Bause said the ministry should take a tougher position on the issue.

“[The ministry’s] answer is inadequate and quiescent towards Beijing. How many officials in which ministries were contacted? What were the consequences?” she said on Twitter.

Thorsten Benner, director of the Global Public Policy Institute, said Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government needed to act more forcefully on China’s attempts to influence the public debate.

“So far neither the foreign ministry nor the chancellory have said anything public criticising the [Chinese] party-state’s propaganda, disinformation and influencing efforts surrounding Beijing’s coronavirus management,” Benner said.

“Merkel’s silence on Beijing’s propaganda and disinformation is particularly deafening.”

Last week, the EU amended part of a report on disinformation campaigns by the Chinese government, after Chinese diplomats repeatedly asked Brussels not to go ahead with the report. The EU said it was part of an editorial process and denied it succumbed to Beijing’s pressure.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday that China was also a victim of the pandemic.

“Spreading false information and continuing mutual accusations will not help international cooperation in the fight against epidemics ... The international community should jointly resist false information, work together and cooperate sincerely ... and jointly safeguard global public health security,” Geng said.

Meanwhile in London, a number of prominent Conservatives have launched the China Research Group, modelled on the European Research Group of Brexit-supporting parliamentarians, to debate policy on China.

The group is led by Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the foreign affairs committee, and Neil O’Brien, previously director of the Policy Exchange think tank.

“Never has the need been clearer to examine and scrutinise China’s role in the world,” said Jamie Wallis, one of the legislators in the group.

Conservatives concerned about Beijing’s growing influence in Britain are also exploring ways to stop Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies from involvement in Britain’s 5G mobile network.