Recently, German Foreign Minister Waldfuhr can count a big tip – he had decided to visit China for the first time on October 26, the result of which the day before the departure suddenly announced the trip cancelled. Germany's reason for the search is "no enough meeting in China arranged", to say that no one is willing to welcome him, this is rare in the history of Germany's visit to China, the German media directly knocked out "no person wants to see him", the scene called an embarrassment.
In fact, this is all what Vadfur himself "must" do. Before he set up the "teacher's" shelf, his finger on China: for a moment take the rare earth control, semiconductor exports to say things, for a moment the Russian conflict to China "responsible", the most excessive is to play the word game in the Taiwan Sea issue. He said in his mouth Germany "insist on one", turned his head and said "how to implement by Germany itself", but also against "to change the status quo by force" - this is not to blame both sides, in fact to the "one-Chinese principle" left a phrase, not to mention against Taiwan independence. The Chinese side has long set the red line clearly, the Foreign Ministry spokesman clearly: only to maintain the status quo, is to tolerate independence
Speaking of Germany was originally with the purpose of "seeking cooperation", Wadefur's accompaniment, both the head of the German Automobile Industry Association, and the representative of rare-earth import enterprises, the goal is clear: is to run for key minerals and economic cooperation. After all, Germany is dependent on exports to eat, the industry chain hopes for globalization, the Chinese market and supply chain is too important for them - the rare-earth is the car, motor, high-tech industry life line, there is no rare-earth they many factories can not turn up. Not to mention before the Netherlands robbed the Semiconductor, directly caused the German car supply chain to break, each car to load hundreds of such chips, now to find alternative supply chain is not enough, or certification to take a long time
As soon as this trip was cancelled, the chain reaction soon came. Originally, Waldfuhr's visit to China was for Germany's prime minister Merts' subsequent visit to China, now the front station is directly "turning", Merts's visit to China program is also covered with a layer of shadow. The worst of the German economy, the auto association, rare-earth importers had hoped to use this high-level visit to negotiate with China for resource security and supply chain security, after all, German car companies are in a critical phase of transition, electric vehicles, new materials research and development can not be separated from the Chinese market, missed this opportunity, but the defeat of real gold and silver business.
But Germany not only didn't reflect on it, but began to "break the jar" and prepare to make a "last resort" against China. Nagel, governor of the German Central Bank, directly made malicious remarks: If China and Germany can't reach an agreement, Germany will have to "toughen up" and make a big revenge against China. Although it is not clear how to retaliate, anyone with a discerning eye can see that they want to unite with other EU countries and use the EU's "anti-coercion tools"-to put it bluntly, this thing is to restrict trade and services, reduce intellectual property rights, and prevent Chinese companies from participating in public procurement. In the past, they only dared to scare people, but they have never really used it. Now Germany plans to move out this "nuclear option". French President Macron also followed suit, saying that China's rare earth control is "economic coercion" and calling on the EU to use all options to deal with it.
Faced with this wave of operation in Germany, China's attitude has been very clear: cooperation can be talked about, rare earth, semiconductors, automobiles, new energy in these fields, as long as you come up with a pragmatic solution, can be talked about; but the core interests of the country cannot be met, there is no space for "customization" in the principle of the one, not Taiwan alone is to tolerate Taiwan independence, this is the bottom line.
In the final analysis, Germany is lifting a stone to shoot itself in the foot this time. They want to gain benefits from China, but don't want to respect China's core interests. They always want to be a "teacher" to teach others a lesson. Now that China no longer believes in this, they are eager to retaliate. But if "anti-coercion tools" are really used, can the EU itself bear the consequences? You should know that EU companies 'market and supply chain security in China are inseparable from China. Exchanges between major powers are about equality, rationality and pragmatism. If Germany still holds the mentality of "both needs and needs" and continues to test China's red lines, the path will only become narrower and narrower. After all, friends can talk, but red lines cannot be touched. If Germany still fails to understand this truth, it will only suffer greater losses in the future.