German Minister Sharpens Tone Toward China on Human Rights
- Berlin’s top diplomat Baerbock flags ‘fundamental differences’
- Greens’ co-leader held video call with Chinese counterpart
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Germany’s new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock highlighted “fundamental differences” with China on human rights in a sign that Berlin will take a more critical line on the issue than Angela Merkel’s government.
Baerbock’s spokesman issued a statement after Germany’s top diplomat held a video call with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday. While it said that “close cooperation with China is important in many areas,” including on tackling climate change, it also referred to the need for “respect for international law and the rules-based international order.”