Germany calls for de-escalation in Taiwan Strait ahead of foreign minister’s visit to China

BERLIN (AA) - Germany on Wednesday called for a de-escalation in the Taiwan Strait amid growing tensions in the region.

“We expect all parties in the region to contribute to stability and peace. That applies equally to the People's Republic of China,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Andrea Sasse told a news conference in Berlin.

“We have the impression that measures such as threatening military activity run counter to this goal, and increase the risk of unintended military clashes,” she said.

“Therefore, we’re calling on all our partners in the region to contribute to de-escalation in the Taiwan Strait, and we’re working with our international partners for this.”

Sasse’s remarks came ahead of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s visit to China beginning on Thursday.

China held several days of military exercises with warplanes and ships near Taiwan after US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen for a meeting in California last week.

Beijing considers Taiwan “an inseparable part of Chinese territory” and has repeatedly urged other nations to avoid direct relations with Taipei.