#German Foreign Minister | Annalena Baerbock

[xtruss]

Global Times: When The West Talks About China's Change, What Do They Fear?

— August 24, 2023

Out of touch with reality. Illustration: Liu Rui/Global Times

The world we live today is the world in which the West has been expanding for 500 years, but the Global South, represented by China, is on the rise.

However, the West's expansion and Global South's emergence are not going to integrate in a silky-smooth transition, especially for the West - it is entering this change with a deep affection and attachment to its 500 years of expansion.

On Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed her feelings in a virtual speech to the Lowy Institute, an Australia think tank: "Increasingly, China is a rival - when it comes to the very fundamentals of how we live together in this world.

"China has changed, and that's why our policy toward China also needs to change," she added.

If we look at the changes in US and Western policy toward China based on the so-called change of China, described by Baerbock, what we see is a China that is seemingly like the West of 500 years ago - full of drive for global exploration, expansion, and colonization, and unafraid to use military power as a precursor to unifying the wealth and faith of the world under the banner of Western civilization

However, China's "change" in Baerbock's description is filled with the Western imagination.

Over the past four decades of its reform and opening-up, China has followed a path of peaceful development. At the core of China's change is the modernization of a home to one-fifth of the world's population, fundamentally altering global development and our way of living together.

China's change is not a result of failing to respond to the abrupt changes in the tide of globalization. On the contrary, Chinese enterprises that have been or are on the verge of leading the world are all advancing in the market economy.

The West looks at China's change with fear, because they are not willing to fully give China the world status it deserves, including China's position in the global manufacturing and the global market.

One example is the West's treatment of electric vehicles produced in China.

In a recent interview with the Telegraph, a senior British government official said, "If it is manufactured in a country like China, how certain can you be that it won't be a vehicle for collecting intel and data?"

Jim Saker, president of the Institute of the Motor Industry, put it more sinisterly and told The Times that "the threat of connected electric vehicles flooding the country could be the most effective Trojan horse that the Chinese establishment has."

The backdrop to this concern is that China has become the world's largest producer of electric cars, with surging exports knocking on the doors of the US and Europe.

All products related to the internet and AI technology undoubtedly face information security concerns. But highlighting the ideological attributes of this issue, rather than addressing it realistically through legal provisions that are consistent with a market economy, is clearly contrary to the order emphasized by the West, and underscores the fact that this so-called order, which is used to bash China, is in fact self-serving, narrow-minded and conservative.

In the final analysis, it is evident the West can't accept the challenge posed by China's change, and still recognizes in its bones that China can only be inferior to the West as a follower, rather than a leader.

China is changing, the Global South is changing, and such changes are bound to touch Western interests. If the West pushes China to the hostile side because of their inability to accept such changes, in the end, China will not be the only one facing difficulties and challenges.

Whether the West is willing to share the order they have built over the past 500 years is directly related to the advancement or retreat of human development.

[higherentity]

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

UN to investigate Iran human rights violations?

          The UN Human Rights Council was considering an international investigation into the human rights situation in Iran. United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Turk warned on Thursday,  Iran is, "in a full-fledged human rights crisis." He was speaking at a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on what it called "the deteriorating human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran" in Geneva. Turk demanded an end to the "unnecessary" use of force against protesters in Iran. "From what we could gather, around 14,000 people, including children, have so far been arrested in the context of the protests. This is a staggering number," he said, adding: "The unnecessary and disproportionate use of force must come to an end. The old methods and the fortress mentality of those who wield power simply don't work." Germany and Iceland had called for the session on human rights violations when they submitted an official request last week, supported by 44 states so far.  Iran's deputy of the vice president for women and family affairs, Khadijeh Karimi, said Western countries "lack the moral credibility to preach others on human rights." For nearly two months now, Iran has been witnessing women-led protests denouncing the traditional regime.          Although Iran would likely refuse to cooperate with a UN investigation, there are still steps the international community can take to support protesters, Lucy McKernan, the deputy director for United Nations at Human Rights Watch's Geneva office, told DW "We can't underestimate how showing solidarity to the protests on the ground can give them a sense of support from outside of the country at a time when they are facing this brutal crackdown," she said. "The international community can offer sanctuary to those fleeing prosecution in Iran."                What is Germany's position on the Iran protests? German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock flew to Geneva to call for a condemnation of the Iranian leadership for its actions against demonstrators, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry announced on Wednesday. "The Iranian demonstrators do not have a seat on the Human Rights Council in Geneva, and they do not have a voice at the UN," Baerbock said in a statement issued before she traveled. "Today the UN Human Rights Council can raise its voice for the indivisible rights of the people in Iran. Today, the members of the Human Rights Council can make a stand against the injustice, the beatings and the shots with which the Iranian regime is trying to destroy peaceful protest." Germany's top diplomat vowed to concentrate efforts on supporting those who are standing up for their rights with "courage and dignity." "For more than two months, we have had to witness on daily basis how Iranians have been victims of brutal violence and state tyranny," Baerbock said. She stressed that Iran had consistently denied UN envoys entry into the country, and called on Council members to vote for a resolution on creating an independent mechanism to investigate human rights violations. "We owe it to the victims," she said.

[niveditaabaidya]

German Foreign Minister Visits Kharkiv. #kharkiv #germany #kyiv #news #b...

[mysharona1987]

Thankfully we *totally* trust Germans on the issue of genocide and how murdering civilians and burning children alive is fine.

They have always been notoriously trustworthy on that particular issue.

[girlactionfigure]

Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister of Germany in an important statement that should resonate in Europe and the US:

Self-defense is not only attacking terrorists, but destroying them.

This is why I made it clear that when the Hamas terrorists hide behind civilians and behind schools we get into very difficult issues, but we will not shy away.

That's why I told the UN clearly: even civilian sites may lose their protected status because terrorists exploit them.

This is Germany's position and this is what Israel's security means for us.

(Applauded in the German parliament).

##

Unfortunately, many in Western Europe do not share Baerbock's simple truth that should be self-evident.

[only-when-i-write]

„Donald Trump won the election. That’s what we congratulate him on.“

~ Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister

Yes, we do appear rude and dismissive at times and are said to lack any kind of humor but boy (!) that was cold even for us. Lieb‘s.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Germany returns 'stolen' dinosaur fossil to Brazil

A fossil from a rare dinosaur that roamed South America 110 million years ago has been returned to Brazil from Germany, ending a diplomatic spat triggered by charges that researchers stole it.

The small dino, called Ubirajara jubatus, which had an early form of feathers and spearlike rods jutting from its shoulders, fascinated scientists, who identified it as previously unknown species in a paper published in 2020.

But it soon sparked a scientific and ethical scandal, when Brazilian researchers accused the German team behind the paper of illegally removing the fossil from Brazil.

After a nearly three-year standoff, a delegation led by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock returned the fossil Sunday during a visit to Brasilia, officials said.

Continue reading.

[tieflingkisser]

German lawyers sue Scholz, alleging complicity in Gaza ‘genocide’

Lawyers representing Palestinians file criminal complaint against the chancellor and other top politicians as Germany remains committed to Israel.

Berlin, Germany – A group of lawyers is filing a criminal complaint with the German federal prosecutor against senior German politicians, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, accusing them of “aiding and abetting” the genocide they say is being committed by Israel in Gaza. The case against several members of the country’s Federal Security Council, which directs national security policy and authorises weapons exports, was announced on Friday. In addition to Scholz, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Economics Minister Robert Habeck, Finance Minister Christian Lindner and others stand accused. The lawyers behind the case represent families of two Palestinians with roots in the Gaza Strip, including that of Palestinian-German migration scholar Nora Ragab. “We, Palestinians in the diaspora, will not stand by and watch a genocide being committed against our families and our people,” Ragab said in a statement. “We will use all means at our disposal. … Today we aim to hold the German government accountable for its complicity in the genocide in Gaza.” The European Legal Support Center, the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy and the UK-based Law for Palestine are among the civil society organisations backing the case. In a jointly written statement, they said: “The German state is one of the countries that has shown some of the strongest political and material support to Israel in its assault on the Gaza Strip and the Palestinians.”

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Vijeta Uniyal 

The Israeli government has compiled names of at least a hundred Gaza terrorists who are employees of the United Nations Palestinian Aid Agency (UNRWA), the German newspaper BILD reports exclusively.

In a letter addressed to UNRWA head General Philippe Lazzarini, Israel’s foreign ministry released the details of 108 UNRWA employees who are members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups, the German daily reported.

By hiring Palestinian terrorists, the UN agency was playing a nefarious role in the jihad warfare being waged against Israel, the ministry said. The letter reminded the UNRWA chief that “any involvement in a militarized group that promotes discrimination or violence, such as Hamas or Islamic Jihad, violates the principle of neutrality,” the Israeli TV channel i24NEWS reported, quoting the letter.

The names of the UN-hired terrorists have not yet been made public due to security reasons, the newspaper noted.

The corruption-ridden UN agency has a long history of colluding with Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups. Since October 7, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has exposed several UNRWA schools and offices doubling as Hamas command centres and weapons depots.

The BILD reported Thursday:

For a long time there have been serious allegations of terrorism against the United Nations’ so-called Palestinians “refugee agency,” the infamous UNRWA in Gaza, which is also funded with millions [of euros] by [Germany’s] Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (…).

[ptseti]

GERMAN TROOPS TO EXIT NIGER, ANOTHER NEOCOLONIAL DOMINO DOWNGermany is likely to become the third Western country whose military forces will leave Niger.On 16 July, German Foreign Affairs minister Annalena Baerbock announced Germany is no longer able to continue military operations due to Niger’s partnership with Russia and Niger’s lack of trust in Germany. This came after Niger refused to allow immunity from prosecution for German troops.Niger also recently expelled troops of Germany’s fellow NATO allies, France and the US. France exited in December. Germany is set to evacuate by 31 August. The US is due to depart by 15 September. Italy is the only remaining Western entity occupying Niger.Germany pulled out of Mali in December 2023 for similar reasons.Nigerien civilians, like their Malian and Burkinabé neighbours, prefer their government not to partner with US and European countries to combat terrorism. Niger has instead strengthened its relationship with Russia and Iran.It has also entered into the Alliance of Sahel States with Burkina Faso and Mali, a confederation with shared economic, foreign and security policies. All three alliance members ousted Western-backed leaders in recent years to the applause of most of their populations.

[rwnnews]

Germany Pledges €200M in Winter Aid to Ukraine: Supporting Ukrainians Through the Harsh Winter.

Germany Pledges €200M in Winter Aid to Ukraine: Supporting Ukrainians Through the Harsh Winter. In a significant humanitarian gesture, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has announced an additional €200 million ($218 million) in winter aid for Ukraine. This aid is aimed at supporting Ukrainians during their third winter of war, as Russia continues to target critical energy infrastructure.…

[niveditaabaidya]

German Foreign Minister Visits Kharkiv. #kharkiv #germany #kyiv #news #b...

[beardedmrbean]

Iranian state media reported on Monday that Jamshid Sharmahd had been executed after he was convicted last year.  

Sharmahd was sentenced to death in February 2023 following a conviction by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Court on charges linked to his involvement in a deadly 2008 attack on a mosque in Shiraz that killed 14 people.

However, the formal conviction in Iran was for the much more vague Iranian criminal offense of spreading "corruption on Earth," a catch-all phrase the Islamic regime uses for an array of purported crimes, often related to religious values.

Iranian media including the legal news site Mizan reported that the execution took place on Monday morning. 

Iran had also accused him of being in contact with "FBI and CIA officers" and of having "attempted to contact Israeli Mossad agents."

California resident likely seized in Dubai in 2020

Tehran had accused Sharmahd of being the "ringleader of the terrorist Tondar group, who directed armed and terrorist acts in Iran from America." The little-known Tondar group, the armed wing of the "Kingdom Assembly of Iran," is based in California and says it seeks to restore Iran's monarchy that was overthrown by the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Before his kidnapping, believed to have taken place in Dubai, and subsequent detention in Iran, the 69-year old Sharmahd had been residing in California.

His daughter, Gazelle, had spearheaded the fight calling for him to be spared execution.

Germany, the EU and others had also called for the death sentence to be lifted.

"I don't think words can change a terrorist regime," Gazelle Sharmahd told DW soon after her father's conviction in 2023. "This is a regime that kidnaps people like my Dad from outside of Iran, takes them over there. ... This terrorist regime will not respond to any kind of talks or diplomacy. We have seen this, unfortunately."

Amensty International lamented 'grossly unfair' trial

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock last year called Sharmahd's setence "absolutely unacceptable," and also said he had not been given a fair trial. 

Rights NGO Amnesty International made similar complaints in reports on the case, calling the legal proceedings "grossly unfair." In a report on the original conviction last April

, Amnesty said Sharmahd was denied access to an independent lawyer of his own choosing and alleged that the state-appointed defense attorney's services were inadequate. 

"His government-appointed lawyer told his family on July 2, 2022, that there was 'no point' to him objecting against the Revolutionary Court admitting his forced 'confessions' as evidence," Amnesty wrote. "Prior to this, on May 9, 2021, the government-appointed lawyer said that without payment of US$250,000 from the family, he would not defend Jamshid Sharmahd in court and would only 'sit there'."