Baerbock criticizes cabinet decision on Chinese shipping company

by time news
Annalena Baerbock

The Green politician reminded that a new course towards China had been agreed in the coalition agreement.

(Photo: dpa)

Berlin Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticizes the Federal Cabinet’s decision to allow the Chinese shipping company Cosco to become a terminal operator in the Port of Hamburg.

Two things have been achieved so that Cosco, with a stake of less than 25 percent, can no longer block things and cannot see all the business documents of the operating company, she said on Sunday on the ARD program “Report from Berlin”. However, the Green politician reiterated: “As is well known, I would have found it right if they were not involved at all.”

As justification, she referred to experiences according to which China’s holdings in important parts of the infrastructure led to dependencies from which one could not get out again so quickly.

However, the federal government had not classified the Tollerort terminal in Hamburg as critical infrastructure. “China prohibits foreign companies from investing in their infrastructure, prohibits companies from being active in China (…). And then we allow all of that in our country?” said Baerbock. “That too is an absolute distortion of competition.”

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The Green politician reminded that a new course towards China had been agreed in the coalition agreement. China is changing and becoming more and more authoritarian, isolating itself more and more and setting its own rules and not complying with international law.

Nevertheless, one cannot simply detach oneself from the country because one must try to discuss global issues such as climate protection with Beijing. Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to China with a business delegation on Thursday.

More: Dispute over port deal continues – Cosco warns: “No guarantee that the transaction will take place”

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