Annalena Baerbock accused China of fueling the Ukraine conflict by allegedly supporting the Russian military
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is welcomed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing / Michael Kappeler © Getty Images German reporters were reportedly kicked out of a meeting between Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing on Monday, according to the newspaper Handelsblatt. During the talks, Baerbock accused China of fueling the Ukraine conflict by allegedly providing military support to Russia. The German diplomat reiterated Berlin’s claims that Beijing is supplying drones and other weapons and means of warfare to Russia. After the meeting, Baerbock stated that the talks were “clear in content and friendly in tone,” but reiterated her claims that “drones from Chinese factories and North Korean Troops” are “attacking peace in the middle of Europe” and hurting its “central security interests.” She did not provide evidence for the drone claim, which Beijing has repeatedly denied. The criticism reportedly prompted Chinese security forces to push the German press out of the meeting, with the talks concluding behind closed doors. They were not followed by a joint press conference or communique. Prior to her trip to Beijing, the German foreign minister also criticized China for allegedly assisting Russia in the conflict and called on the international community to increase pressure on the Chinese government in order to achieve a settlement.
Last month, she threatened Beijing with sanctions in response to unconfirmed reports about the supposed existence of a factory in China that was producing drones for Russia. China has dismissed the accusations of providing drones to the Russian military as “baseless speculation and vilification,” insisting that it “handles the export of military products prudently and responsibly.” “We have never provided lethal weapons to any party of the conflict, and strictly control the export of military and dual-use drones in accordance with laws and regulations,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian has said. Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated in a press release on Monday that during his meeting with Baerbock, Wang had “comprehensively and systematically elaborated China’s position of being committed to peacemaking and promoting talks.” He also stressed the need for Germany and China to develop relations based on mutual respect and understanding, stressing that relations between the two countries are not aimed against any other countries and should not be influenced by any third party.
