Parades, reminders, and possibly up kündigtes armor agreement: Federal defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen has visited for the first Time, the people’s Republic of China. From Beijing Maximiliane Koschyk reports.
Maybe it’s a sign of the times that the defense policy talks between China and Germany at the end of a long day, are overshadowed by the tense dynamics of the major military powers of Russia and the USA. It should be no Surprise that U.S. President Donald Trump wants to terminate the three-decades-old INF-disarmament agreement, says defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, just late in the evening to accompany in Beijing, the German journalists, the you on your first visit to the people’s Republic of.
“This development is a cause for concern, but has emerged,” says von der Leyen. Actually, she had come to meet with leading Chinese military. However, a well may be impending arms race between Russia and the United States want neither the German defense Minister nor the Chinese leadership is uncommented. Already in the summer, there had been at the NATO summit, considerable doubt as to the sanctity of contracts in Russia, the Minister said. “For us, Europeans, the INF Treaty is a core element of our security”, she said in Beijing. This security must be received, “regardless of whether the contract can be saved, or whether he needs to be renegotiated”. All NATO would have to be included-partners in these conversations.
Less conciliatory words were heard, however, from the Chinese side. “It is totally wrong to involve China in the withdrawal from the contract,” commented the foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunyin, the representation of the United States, China’s military buildup was part of the justification.
Friendly greeting: Ursula von der Leyen in the National defence University of the people’s Republic of
In the tense dynamics of the military great powers, Germany was counting on Western values and principles – that the Minister already made in the morning. “We all know that our rule has grown based international order, both historically and as a Central compass for the future,” von der Leyen said in a speech before members of the National defence University.
Appointment on appointment
With a visit to the Ministry of defence it is not done in the people’s Republic of China, if you want to talk to the military leadership. A leader in the defence policy, the so-called Military Central Committee, the state President and Chairman of the Communist party, Xi Jinping presides. His Deputy, General Xu Qiliang receives from the Leyen. To short your visit, whether he’s signaling directly to the beginning of the conversation.
To him, the conversation is short: General Xu Qiliang with the German Minister of defence
For the English-Chinese policy, it is a break that Germany and China have, in the last years, the government consultations, especially with an economic focus. The Chancellor travelled in 13 years in office eleven Times to China, most recently in the spring of this year. The talks between the defence political representatives are but the first in a Long time. She wanted to know, what is the self-understanding of the country, explains von der Leyen, in her speech before the military Academy and at the same time their own point of view.
While the trade relations between the two countries are long grown, the military exchange is relatively fresh. The purpose of the trip was the “confidence-building”, it was said in advance in the German Ministry of defence.
Journey through the Chinese area of influence
It was the second stop of a nine-day trip to Asia, when the Minister first attended a training camp of the German armed forces in Mongolia and to travel from Beijing to Australia, the Invictus Games, a sporting competition for war invalids, before you will take part in Bahrain at a security conference.
Trained by the Bundeswehr: Von der Leyen Mongolian soldier hits the inside
You traveled to a Region that pays close attention to China’s territorial expansionist policy. The power of the Leyen in Beijing, significantly, as it refers to prior to the military on the importance of the Strait of Malacca, which is for the shipping for the access from the Indian ocean to the Pacific via the South China sea is essential: “It is therefore in all our interests that these stay, as well as other trade routes passable and not the subject of new Power projection and territorial claims.”
Von der Leyen stressed that Germany will keep a clear on his policy of alliances in Europe and NATO. The members of the North Atlantic Treaty want to start this week with your biggest maneuvers since the end of the Cold war. Germany with about 7000 soldiers the second largest contingent of the Exercise. A challenge for the German armed forces – the Ministry of defence is currently fighting in spite of increase in the budget for 2019 is to reach the NATO goal was to put a percentage of gross domestic product in the defence budget.
China’s search for a new Position
The people’s liberation army, according to the defence think-tank IISS with 150,2 billion dollars a budget, which is the global number two behind the United States. China not only invests in military and strategic. The people’s Republic knows exactly that it is safe with economic investments such as in infrastructure projects in Africa as well as the security and political interests.
Economic and military interests: China’s new “silk road”, here with a train in Iran
But China is looking for guidance in his defense policy. The simmering trade war with the U.S. and China’s activities in the South China sea have strained relations with the United States. The Trans-Eurasian mammoth project of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, with the help of China, infrastructures in the Tradition of the historical silk road is to build up, in the case of Europeans, for concerns.
Currently, China also takes the neighbors of Russia. Last month, the people’s Republic took part in a military exercise in the East of Siberia. In the maneuvers “Vostok-2018” took part with 300,000 men, or nearly a third of the Russian army. China, with approximately 3,200 soldiers, only a fraction of its armed forces, sent but also 900 tanks and other combat vehicles. Also Mongolia and the NATO state of Turkey took part. In contrast to the usual Russian maneuvers, which are geographically and therefore strategically to the West aligned, should signal “Vostok”, the partnership with China.
Show the flag in Siberia: China, participated with about 3,200 soldiers in the big maneuvers “Vostok-2018”
Germany and China already cooperate in the medical care of the two armed forces in missions of the United Nations. China, alongside the US, one of the largest donors in international UN missions. However, China is struggling to find its Position between Russia and the United States. The contact to European partners such as Germany, could play an important role in the direction in which the people’s Republic oriented, ultimately, strategically.