China Monday invoked Germany's "painful" history in slamming a Taiwan visit by a high-ranking parliamentary delegation from Berlin, in an apparent reference to the country's wartime record.

The group of German lawmakers arrived in the self-ruled island on Monday ahead of an anticipated ministerial visit later this year with one delegation member describing Beijing's increased sabre-rattling towards Taiwan as "unacceptable".

China's foreign ministry Monday swiftly condemned the visit.

"The root cause of the Taiwan problem is precisely that the law of the jungle, hegemonism, colonialism, militarism and nationalism were rampant in the world, and China suffered deeply from them," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a briefing.

"Germany has (experienced) a profound and painful historical lesson in this regard," he added.

"We urge these German politicians to earnestly abide by the One-China principle."

China's Communist Party regards democratic Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to one day take the island.

Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has ramped up military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan because its current elected government regards the island as an already sovereign nation and not part of "one China".

The deputies on the Taiwan visit are from the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) -- a junior partner in Germany's coalition government.

The four-day visit is a "sign of solidarity" with the democracy which China claims as part of its territory, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chair of the parliamentary defence committee and a leader of the delegation, told AFP.

They are set to meet with "senior figures from politics, civil society and the military" Strack-Zimmermann said, and would also discuss the current "threat situation" in their meetings.

- 'After Putin comes Xi' -

The first meetings on Monday were with fellow lawmakers in Taiwan.

FDP lawmaker Johannes Vogel described Taiwan's situation as "very complex" and said both Germany and Europe "support a One-China Policy".

"But having said that... we support Taiwan when it comes to making it totally clear that military aggression and the threat of military aggression coming from Beijing is unacceptable," he told lawmakers.

"We want you to also see our visit here as a gesture of support."

The trip is set to be followed by a visit from German Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, also of the FDP, in the next few months, sources told AFP.

It would be the first by a member of the German cabinet in 26 years.

Ahead of the trip Vogel said support for Taiwan was needed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine because Xi could also unleash a similar war.

"After (Russian President Vladimir) Putin comes Xi," Vogel told AFP. "We must take autocrats seriously and literally."

The two senior FDP deputies also warned against Germany becoming too economically dependent on China, its biggest trading partner in 2021.

"It can only be to our disadvantage to make ourselves dependent economically on autocratic states," Strack-Zimmermann said, highlighting Germany's recent experience with Russia -- on whose natural resources it had become dependent before the Ukraine invasion.

China routinely opposes official exchanges with Taiwan, and has reacted with growing anger to a flurry of visits by Western politicians to the island.

Last year saw a spike in tensions as Beijing ramped up military pressure and launched its largest war games in decades to protest against a visit by then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi in August.

German MPs travel to Taiwan as China tensions rise
Berlin (AFP) Jan 9, 2023 - A high-ranking parliamentary delegation from Germany arrived in Taiwan on Monday ahead of an anticipated ministerial visit later this year in moves that could spark tensions with China.

The visit was a "sign of solidarity" with the self-ruled democracy which China claims as part of its territory, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chair of the parliamentary defence committee and a leader of the delegation, told AFP.

The deputies from the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) -- a junior partner in Germany's coalition government -- would meet with "senior figures from politics, civil society and the military", Strack-Zimmermann said.

The delegation would discuss the current "threat situation" in their meetings, she added.

The trip is set to be followed by a visit from German Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, also of the FDP, in the spring, sources told AFP. It would be the first by a member of the German cabinet in 26 years.

"In light of the military threats from China we have travelled as a delegation from the FDP to Taiwan, because a signal of support for Taiwan is now needed," senior FDP MP Johannes Vogel told AFP.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Vogel warned that Chinese President Xi Jinping could also unleash a war.

"After (Russian President Vladimir) Putin comes Xi," Vogel said.

"We must take autocrats seriously and literally," he added.

- Economic challenge -

The two senior FDP deputies also warned against Germany becoming too economically dependent on China, its biggest trading partner in 2021.

"It can only be to our disadvantage to make ourselves dependent economically on autocratic states," Strack-Zimmermann said, highlighting Germany's recent experience with Russia -- on whose natural resources it had become dependent before the Ukraine invasion.

Berlin's diplomatic overtures to Taiwan are likely to rile Beijing.

President Xi, China's most assertive leader in a generation, has made clear that what he calls the "reunification" of Taiwan cannot be passed on to future generations.

Last year saw a spike in tensions as Beijing ramped up military pressure and launched its largest war games in decades to protest against a visit by then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi in August.

China opposes any official exchanges with Taiwan, and has reacted with growing anger to a flurry of visits by Western politicians to the island.

Also in August, the German air force boosted its presence in the Indo-Pacific with the deployment of 13 military aircraft, one year after it sent a frigate to the region for the first time in almost two decades.

Related Links
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