Germany warns Taiwan: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday issued a warning to China against changing the status quo with Taiwan through the use of force and raised concerns about the human rights situation in the country.
The warning came days after Tuesday’s bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is on his first overseas venture after assuming office in March 2023, reported PTI
Addressing German lawmakers, Scholz said he wanted a constructive relationship with China because of its important role in solving global problems such as food security and poverty. “At the same time, we urge China to clearly follow international norms,” he said.
“We strongly reject all attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas by force or coercion. This is especially true for Taiwan. We also note with concern the human rights situation and the rule of law in China,” the German Chancellor said. Scholz did not mention Taiwan when he spoke with Li during their bilateral meeting on Tuesday.
Notably, Taipei broke away from Beijing during the civil war that brought Mao Zedong’s Communist Party to power and established the People’s Republic of China in 1949. While the Communist Party gained control of the Chinese mainland in 1949, the Kuomintang-ruled government of the then Republic of China established its government in Taiwan (officially called the Republic of China).
Although the two provinces have been governed separately for more than 70 years, the CCP continues to claim sovereignty over the island nation. China has on several occasions increased military exercises around the self-ruled country, which it considers its territory under the ‘One China Policy’. In recent days, China has repeatedly warned the island nation that it would use force if it disobeyed Beijing’s orders and relied on the West for its security.
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