Germany’s schooling and analysis minister is making an official journey to Taiwan subsequent week, officers mentioned Friday. It would be the highest-level go to by a German official since 1997 to the island that China claims as a part of its territory.
The March 20-22 go to comes amid rising tensions between China and the West, together with over Beijing’s stance on Russia’s warfare in Ukraine. China reacted when angrily when then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taiwan final yr.
The go to by Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, whose ministry additionally oversees science, will give attention to cooperation in areas of chip analysis and manufacturing, inexperienced hydrogen and battery manufacturing, spokesman Martin Kleinemas mentioned.
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Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit mentioned the go to did not point out any change in place with regards to Germany’s coverage on Taiwan, which helps the European Union’s follow of cooperating with Taipei on the technical stage with out calling into query the precept of “one China.”
German Science and Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger is making an official journey to Taiwan subsequent week, officers mentioned on March 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, pool, file)
“We are additionally in common and shut contact with China and the Chinese management,” he mentioned. “The go to that the minister for schooling and analysis is making to Taiwan now would not name into query our stance in any method.”
The final Cabinet-level German official to go to Taiwan 26 years in the past was then-Economy Minister Guenter Rexrodt, a member of the identical libertarian Free Democratic Party as Stark-Watzinger. The get together has been pushing for a more durable line towards Beijing on human rights and free speech.
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