BERLIN, 12 Apr. (DPA/EP) –
The German Foreign Ministry has called for de-escalation regarding the status of the island of Taiwan a few hours after the minister, Annalena Baerbock, begins a three-day visit to China.
“We are concerned about the situation in the Taiwan Strait,” said a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry, adding that from Berlin they hope that “all parties” will contribute to achieving “stability and peace” in the region, including China.
Likewise, Foreign Affairs has pointed out that “measures such as threatening military gestures” go against said objective and increase the risk of “unwanted confrontations”, in reference to the latest exercises by Beijing off the coast of the island, which involved to an aircraft carrier and ended on Monday.
These words by the German Foreign Ministry come a few hours after the minister, Annalena Baerbock, visits China with a focus on negotiations to achieve peace in Ukraine, as well as on bilateral relations and ties with the European Union.
Specifically, Baerbock is scheduled to meet his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, and preside over the sixth round of the China-Germany Strategic Dialogue on an official visit starting tomorrow and ending on Saturday.
The escalation of tensions in the region began with the trip to the island of the then president of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, in August last year, although they have rebounded after the meeting between the president of Taiwan , Tsai Ing Wen, and the current Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy.
The Taiwanese Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, warned this Wednesday that the latest military maneuvers carried out by the Asian giant suggest that it is “prepared to launch a war” against Taiwan, which has had an independent government since 1949, while China considers the territory under its sovereignty.
