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On Monday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul blasted China for giving Russia substantial support for its war against Ukraine.
His comments preceded a scheduled meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump, and European leaders to address Moscow’s ongoing war against Kyiv.
“Russia’s war is made possible by crucial Chinese support,” Wadephul said during a speech at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Tokyo, where he is visiting Japan.
According to the minister, “80 percent of the dual-use goods that Russia uses come from China. And at the same time, China is the largest buyer of Russian oil and gas. And this is a development that of course not only runs massively counter to our European security interests, but also those of our partners in the Indo-Pacific.”
Trump has threatened secondary sanctions against countries that buy Russian energy before, and he has also put a 25 percent tariff on India for buying Russian oil, along with another 25 percent tariff because of trade disputes. But China hasn’t seen any of the same actions taken against it.
Wadephul said that Beijing’s actions “show that China preaches the principles of non-interference and territorial integrity, but in reality undermines them.”
His comments show that the current German government is critical of China. This is in line with the harder line taken by former foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, who called Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator, and different from the more cautious approach taken by former chancellor Angela Merkel.
The minister also drew attention to reports of North Korea sending ammunition and troops to Russia, claiming such support would not be possible without China’s involvement.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“If Russia is firing North Korean artillery shells on Ukraine today, then this undermines the security order in Europe, but it also upsets the balance of power in Asia. Because it is clear that Russia is showing its gratitude to North Korea for this assistance by transferring technology and expertise,” Wadephul said.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo earlier, he also raised concerns about rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, warning that Beijing “repeatedly threatens, more or less openly, to unilaterally change the status quo and shift its borders.”
“However, one thing is clear,” he added. “The prohibition of violence enshrined in the United Nations Charter applies, and any escalation at this sensitive hub of international trade would have serious consequences for global security and the world economy.”
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