Stosunki niemiecko-chińskie na progu XXI wieku

Although the People’s Republic of China and the Federal Republic of Germany were both established in 1949, no diplomatic ties between them were instituted until 1972. Since then, however, German–Chinese relations have made significant progress in all fields. For instance, Germany has been China’s leading trade partner in Europe while China has become Germany’s largest economic partner in Asia ahead of Japan. The Berlin’s position on China is outlined in the document „The tasks of German foreign policy: East Asia at the beginning of the 21st century”, released in May 2002. It states that German policy towards the region and China focuses on the promotion of democracy and human rights, ensuring peace and stability through confidence building measures, protection for Germany’s economic interests, provision of development aid and cooperation in the fields of the education, culture and environmentally friendly technologies. Representatives of both countries visit each other frequently. In November 2005 China’s President Hu Jintao paid a visit to Germany during which he met with German leaders (president Koehler, chancellor Merkel, former chancellor Schroeder). Both sides consider development of bilateral relations important. Human rights violations in China remain one of the most controversial issues in the Chinese relations with Western countries. For Beijing, critical remarks in this subject are unjustified and an interference in China’s domestic matters. However, Germany’s attitude towards China is often described as pragmatic. Therefore, we can expect that the bilateral relations in the predictable future will expand.