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Foreign Minister Heiko Maas chose unusually clear words during a public appearance with his Chinese counterpart. He wants to send UN observers to the Uighur camps.
The meeting between German Chancellor Heiko Maas and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi ended on a high note. Maas demanded concessions from China on economic and political issues, consent to a UN observation mission in the detention camps for Uighurs and protested against threats against Europe. Wang, however, denied the allegations and insisted on not interfering in internal affairs.
Threats against the Czech Republic
The meeting was overshadowed by a multitude of difficult foreign policy issues, notably human rights violations in China and authoritarian behavior in Hong Kong are difficult for Western diplomats to accept. Wang had also threatened the president of the Czech Senate with paying “a high price” for his current trip to Taiwan. Questioning the one-China principle means becoming the enemy of the 1.4 billion Chinese.
China views democratic Taiwan, which separated from the mainland in 1949, as a separatist province and is trying to isolate it internationally. The Chinese claim to power had recently led to a new security law in Hong Kong that undermined the autonomy of the former colony from the English crown. Maas calls for new rapid elections in Hong Kong.
Maas demands respect from China
The EU will also defend its values outside its borders, he said. “We will no longer accept threats against this commitment.” The EU acts in close cooperation on foreign policy and treats its partners with respect, said the SPD politician. “We expect the same in reverse. And the threats don’t fit.” You can also see the most important statements of Heiko Maas in the video or above here.
That is why he found clear words for the situation of Uighurs in China, who, according to human rights organizations and journalistic investigations, are imprisoned in camps and mistreated en masse. Recently, “BuzzFeed News” discovered by analyzing satellite images that the storage system had been greatly expanded.
“We would very much like China to grant access to the camps to an independent United Nations observation mission,” Maas said Tuesday. He had “heard the will to do so” from Wang. Wang, on the other hand, also prohibited interference in China’s internal affairs in this regard. Beijing officially speaks of “educational centers” when it refers to the camps.
At the same time, he was optimistic that the stalled talks on the investment protection agreement between the EU and China could lead to a success this year. Germany and China have a strategic partnership that needs to be expanded.
