China Strategy Divisions As One Min Visits Taiwan, Another To Beijing

FT reports that German Education and Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger is set to visit Taipei next week, the first to Taiwan by a German minister in 26 years. The story also reports that according to its sources, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is set to visit Beijing in April or May. The two separate visits highlight the divisions evident within the German gov't as to its China strategy.

• Stark-Watzinger hails from the smallest party in the tripartite federal coaltion, the pro-business liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP). Baerbock meanwhile represents the environmentalist Greens. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are seen as the most Sinophile of the governing parties.
• FT reports one German diplomat stating: "On the one hand, we are sending her [to Beijing] and pushing for a new round of bilateral government consultations which have not taken place since 2021 due to Covid, and on the other hand, a minister travels to Taiwan first — what kind of message are we sending to them?”
• Germany remains the EU member state with the largest economic relationship with China, and even a low-profile ministerial visit (Stark-Watzinger is not set to meet with Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu) could raise the ire of Beijing. Baerbock's subsequent trip may end up being one of reassurance to China rather than substantive policy discussions.