BERLIN, June 14. /TASS/. Berlin views Beijing as an invaluable ally in the international arena, despite the fact that the two countries are systemic rivals, according to Germany’s national security strategy adopted on Wednesday.
"China is a partner, competitor and systemic rival. However, we can see that the competition has been ramping up in recent years," the document reads.
According to the strategy, Berlin believes that "China seeks to use various methods to change the current international rules-based order," and "keeps acting against the interests and values" of Germany.
The strategy also points out that "China deliberately uses its economic power to achieve its political goals." "Still, China remains a partner without whom it is impossible to resolve many global crises and challenges. That is why these are the areas where we should take advantage of opportunities for cooperation," the document added.
This is the first national security strategy in Germany’s history. In the past, the country’s authorities used to clarify the main principles of their military and political strategy in a document called the White Paper, but the range of issues that it covered was much narrower. The current document also addresses issues such as climate change and cybersecurity.
The approval of the strategy was postponed several times due to disagreements within the ruling coalition. Initially, the document was expected to be unveiled at the Munich Security Conference in February 2023. The plan to set up Germany’s National Security Council, which was expected to coordinate foreign policy and security policy decisions and take control in crisis situations, was another stumbling block. As a result, the council was not created because the Federal Chancellor’s Office and the Foreign Ministry failed to agree on who would take the lead in the body.