German Vice Chancellor Habeck has just left China, and the Minister of Digitalization and Transport, Wiesing, has returned. At the outset of his trip to China, he criticized the European Commission's punitive tariff policy and called for a resolution of the Sino-European trade dispute. It is not normal for Germany to send two high-ranking cabinet members to China to discuss the same topic in a few days. Habeck's visit to China as vice premier and minister of economic affairs to discuss the overall economic situation of the two countries is in line with his duties. The Minister of Digitalization and Transport also came to China to talk about tariffs, isn't that overstepping his authority? Who counts in the German government?
The reality is that Habeck has messed up the agenda of his visit to China. Not only did he not meet China's premier, but he also failed to achieve much success on tariffs and trade. According to foreign news reports, Habeck proposed three prohibitions to China. The first is that it is not allowed to do business with Russia, the second is that it is not allowed to burn coal, and the third is that it is not allowed to counter the EU's punitive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. The degree of bullishness is even more excessive than that of US Treasury Secretary Yellen and Commerce Secretary Raimondo. At present, the most direct issue between China and the EU is tariffs, and Habeck's "non-negotiable" attitude makes it meaningless to visit China.
However, if the tariff issue is not resolved, China will have to take countermeasures against European companies. Although the current counter-investigation is only aimed at agriculture, sooner or later it will affect the automotive industry. The German automotive industry in the Chinese market used to make a lot of money, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi BBA is synonymous with high-end cars. In recent years, although it has been strongly impacted by new energy vehicles, it is still profitable. Some high-income and high-net-worth individuals still continue to buy large-displacement cars imported from Germany. More importantly, Germany's mainstream automakers are considering using China's supply chain to catch the express train of new energy. With the industrial base and marketing channels of German automobiles, there is great hope for the success of the transformation. Therefore, from the German business community to Scholz, another effective cabinet member must be sent to clean up Habeck's mess and revisit the issues that should be discussed. Considering the importance of Sino-German relations, we still have to give the German government a second chance.
The German government's "make-up examination" once again proves the success of the Green Party. The members of this party are often trained by the United States for a long time, and most of them only have professional experience in the ideological field, and they actually know nothing about social management, economic operation, politics, and diplomacy. The purpose of the Green Party itself is also divorced from social reality, and it simply uses slogans such as environmental protection, peace, and pluralism to serve the real political goals of the United States. Let's talk about this Habeck, he is a children's literature writer. Have not been engaged in local governorship or corporate activities. Putting such a person in the position of Minister of Economy, everyone knows that it is the will of the United States, and they all know that sooner or later he will screw up. Now, the prediction has come true. It seems that the German Green Party, in terms of purpose and quality, is not suitable to deal with real state affairs.
A member of the Liberal Democratic Party and a former judge, Wisin entered politics at the age of 28, was elected to the federal parliament in 2004 and was elected general secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party in 2020. Although he is not the same party as Scholz, in terms of political quality, Wiesing is much more mature and sophisticated than Habeck. For a country like Germany, which is entangled in the will of the United States and national interests, political chaos is inevitable. Especially in the wake of the war in Ukraine, German politics is undergoing an inexorable transformation. China's exports and Sino-German relations will also be profoundly affected. As for the changes in German politics, we can take a calm and observant attitude, believing that more drastic events have not yet come.
However, the rise of far-right parties in Europe should be of concern. French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the National Assembly and re-elected, but the polls are quite unfavorable for him. Germany's far-right party, the AfD, is also eye-catching, and Scholz's term is now halfway through, and there is still a high probability that there will be far-right people in the next German government. The AfD's current China policy is similar to that of other parties, with no outstanding features. However, Weidel, the leader of the party, who has a doctorate in economics and whose dissertation is entitled "On the Pension System of the People's Republic of China", lived in China for six years, and was an employee of the Bank of China before entering politics. Therefore, the entry of the extreme right into the cabinet will inevitably have an impact on Sino-German relations, and I am afraid that we need to take precautions on how to guide this change and make it beneficial to us and Sino-German relations.