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The sixth round of China-Germany inter-governmental consultations. /China's State Council
Editor's note: Gu Xuewu is a tenured professor of political science and international relations at the University of Bonn. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
On April 28, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Angela Merkel co-hosted the sixth round of China-Germany inter-governmental consultations, a strategic coordination mechanism between the two countries, via video link. The talks created three firsts since the mechanism was put in place in 2011.
First, 25 ministers from both sides attended the meeting, the largest group of participants in history. Second, it was the first time that the two governments had conducted a strategic consultation against the backdrop of the American government's explicit call for a U.S.-Europe pushback against China.
Third, it was the first time the bilateral consultation had touched upon such a wide range of issues, showing Beijing and Berlin's desire to jointly exert influence on the development of regional hot spot issues and global order.
A careful examination of the German Chancellor's press release issued in the evening of April 28 and the joint declaration released by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs the next dayreveals that out of the 20 areas for future cooperation between the two, 12 are directly linked to regional and global issues beyond the sphere of bilateral relations.
In a rare move, foreign ministers from both countries called on Myanmar's military government to prevent further bloodshed and casualties. Different from Washington's urging UN mechanisms to put pressure on the junta, Beijing and Berlin advocated that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should play a crucial part and that disputes be resolved through dialogue. Beijing's position of avoiding interference from a major external power in Myanmar's affairs seemed to have been met with unanimous support from the German government.
More impressively, at a time when the U.S. is losing its grip on the Middle East, and Russia is walking a tightrope in Syria, Beijing and Berlin showed their firm support for UN-led efforts to facilitate the end of Libya's civil war and its national reconciliation, a ceasefire and political talks in Yemen, and political solutions to the Syrian issue. In particular, China's recognition of the legitimacy of the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria no longerseemed in the way of a joint effort between China and Germany to promote peace in the country.
China's aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, submarines, vessels and fighter jets take part in a review in the South China Sea, April 12, 2018. /Xinhua
Beijing and Berlin also showed keen interest in cooperation regarding Afghanistan. Both sides expressed their willingness to continue to push the Afghan peace process forwardand help the country restore peace and stability at an early date. While the two countries have different aims, a peaceful and stable Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO troops will be of strategic importance for Beijing to ensure that Islamic extremists stay away from its border regions in Xinjiang and for Berlin to expect an end to the influx of Afghan refugees into Germany.
Over the South China Sea, Berlin's stance on Beijing's rejection of major external powers' interference in its territorial disputes with neighboring countries seemed to have loosened up. Notably, the two sides stressed that China and Germany respected rules-based maritime order as parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which the U.S. is not a signatory.
More importantly, Germany said it welcomed talks between China and ASEAN countries to formulate an effective South China Sea code of conduct and called on stakeholders to conduct dialogues, settle disputes through peaceful means and avoid actions that could fuel tensions. This was in stark contrast to the tireless effort of the U.S. in condemning China for the "militarization of the South China Sea" and building up its military presence in the region.
This round of the China-Germany inter-governmental consultation sent an important message to the world: The two countries are not interested in decoupling. Quite the contrary, China and Germany, while admitting differences in certain areas, believe that they should consolidate bilateral ties. What's particularly worth mentioning is that Beijing and Berlin have begun to envision an UN-centered, international law-based global order where the two would further deepen their ties.
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