"German and Chinese Officials Warn of Potential Conflict in Taiwan Strait"

Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, has warned of a "horror scenario" in the Taiwan strait, saying a military conflict would have global consequences and directly affect Germany. Baerbock emphasized the importance of trade ties between Germany and China, but also called for a "de-risking" of the national economy to avoid over-reliance on a single country's exports. She also urged China to exert its influence on Russia over Ukraine and called for shared ideals of human rights in trade partnerships. Her Chinese counterpart accused foreign governments of supporting separatists in Taiwan and rejected calls for lecturing on human rights.