German Minister's Taiwan Visit Sparks Controversy and Focus on Tech Industry.
German Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger has become the first sitting cabinet official to visit Taiwan in decades. She signed a bilateral deal with Taiwan regarding science and technology, expressing hope for strong mutual cooperation on sci-tech and economic issues in the coming decades. The decision to visit Taiwan comes amid tensions with mainland China, which denies Taiwanese sovereignty and has signaled that it could take over the island. China has filed a diplomatic complaint with Germany regarding the visit.