#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]

[contemplatingoutlander]

When the Germans are worried that America is becoming an autocracy under Trump--people need to pay attention. After all, they've seen all this before.

Donald Trump’s return to the White House has Germany’s diplomatic corps bracing for what it sees as a deliberate dismantling of United States democratic norms.

A confidential memorandum written by Andreas Michaelis, Germany's ambassador to the U.S., warns of an agenda of “maximum disruption” that could redefine the American constitutional order.

The document, obtained by Reuters and addressed to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, outlines stark concerns about the erosion of democratic norms under Trump’s second administration.

Michaelis describes Trump’s vision as one focused on the “maximum concentration of power with the president at the expense of Congress and the [U.S.] states.” According to the document, key democratic institutions, including the legislature, law enforcement and the media, risk an erosion of their independence and could be “misused as a political arm.” 

The memo also highlights the involvement of Big Tech companies, which Michaelis claims could be granted “co-governing power.” [...] The briefing memo underscores Trump’s reliance on the judiciary to advance his goals. Michaelis notes that the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions to expand presidential powers could enable Trump to bypass traditional checks and balances. [...] The document further raises concerns about Trump’s ability to exploit legal loopholes for political ends. These include potentially using the military domestically in cases of “insurrection” or “invasion,” an act that could test the boundaries of the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which generally bars military involvement in law enforcement. [...] Meanwhile, Musk is accused of manipulating algorithms and blocking accounts critical of his platform. The ambassador warns of a “redefinition of the First Amendment,” suggesting a troubling merger of political and technological influence.

[emphasis added]

[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.

[allthegeopolitics]

Donald Trump’s return to the White House has Germany’s diplomatic corps bracing for what it sees as a deliberate dismantling of United States democratic norms.

A confidential memorandum written by Andreas Michaelis, Germany's ambassador to the U.S., warns of an agenda of “maximum disruption” that could redefine the American constitutional order.

The document, obtained by Reuters and addressed to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, outlines stark concerns about the erosion of democratic norms under Trump’s second administration. [...]

However, the ambassador offers a glimmer of reassurance, stating that “even the biggest critics assume that [the Supreme Court] will prevent the worst from happening.” [...]

Continue Reading.

[mariacallous]

Foreign ministers of the five biggest powers in Europe together with the incoming top EU diplomat and host Poland held talks in Warsaw on Tuesday to reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression.

“We were in agreement that imposing on Ukraine peace recipes contrary to its interests or unacceptable socially would have a negative impact on the stability of the country,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said after the meeting of Weimar Triangle foreign ministers (Germany, France and Poland) plus Italy, Spain and the UK.

“Any scenarios for finishing the war and putting an end to Russian aggression must be worked out in close cooperation with the Ukrainian government,” Sikorski added.

The meeting was called to allay fears that Ukraine would be sidelined once the newly elected US president Donald Trump takes office in January. Trump has repeatedly talked about bringing peace “in 24 hours” by imposing a solution that would likely be heavily weighted towards Russia.

Jitters were also caused by the decision of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss the war with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a one-on-one call last week, the first since the full-scale invasion began. That call has been criticised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, among others.

Sikorski was joined in Warsaw by the foreign ministers of Germany (Annalena Baerbock), France (Jean-Noel Barrot), Italy (Antonio Tajani) as well as Kaja Kallas, the future EU high representative for foreign affairs. The foreign ministers of Spain and the UK took part in the talks remotely.

Explaining the reasons for organising the meeting, Sikorski said it was prompted by the weekend’s major attack on Ukraine, the largest since last year, as well as by the US presidential election.

The meeting in Warsaw also served as an attempt by Poland to preserve its key role in European policymaking on Ukraine after apparently being snubbed last month by Berlin when it held talks on Ukraine with the US, UK and France but not Poland. It was also an opportunity for Sikorski to score a few domestic points ahead of his party’s primary election later this week to choose its presidential candidate for next year.

German Foreign Minister Baerbock spoke about the importance of not “having any breaks in securing the peace in Europe” in the context of uncertainties connected to the election of Trump as the next president of the US. EU countries, she said, “must strengthen the European pillar of NATO” and “invest significantly more than 2 per cent of GDP in defence”.

She also warned against “self-fulfilling prophecies”, implying that it was too early to tell what a future US administration would do in relation to the war and US financial involvement in European defence.

All the foreign ministers were careful to highlight the importance of cooperation with the US for ensuring peace in Europe, regardless of who holds the reins of power in Washington. ���It’s only by having strong transatlantic ties that we can counter the rising threats from Russia and other countries,” Sikorski said.

[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.

[beardedmrbean]

Opposing protests took place in the southern German city of Munich on Sunday following a deadly car-ramming attack that killed two people and rekindled a debate on deportations just days before a nationwide election.

On Thursday, a 24-year-old Afghan national drove a car into a trade union demonstration in Munich, injuring at least 39 people, some seriously. A 37-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter died on Saturday as a result of their injuries.

Investigators in the state of Bavaria currently assume that the crime had an Islamist motive, based on statements made by the driver after his arrest.

The far-right anti-migrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) staged a vigil on Munich's central square Königsplatz on Sunday, a few hundred metres from the scene of the attack.

Those opposed to exploiting the attack for political purposes held their own demonstration opposite the AfD gathering. Police put the number attending the AfD vigil at 70, and the demonstration at 600.

Around 50 counter-protesters formed a human chain to prevent AfD supporters from laying flowers at the site of the attack, police said.

Footage showed police then using force on several people, as witnesses also reported. Police said they briefly detained eight people for offences against a ban on wearing masks and an attempt to cause bodily harm to police officers.

In a statement published by the Munich authorities on their official website earlier on Sunday, the family of the woman and child had appealed for the attack not to be used to foment hatred.

"Amel was a person who worked for justice," the statement said, emphasizing that she had been active in seeking rights for workers and in promoting solidarity and equality.

Amel, who was born in Algeria and came to Germany at the age of 4, had been opposed to xenophobia and had wanted to pass these values on to her daughter, Hafsa, the statement said.

Bavarian premier calls for negotiations with Taliban on deportations

The political debate in the aftermath of the attack centred on the issue of deportations, with Bavarian Premier Markus Söder calling for immediate negotiations with the Taliban on deportation flights to Afghanistan.

"A flight is needed every week," Söder told the Sunday edition of Germany's Bild newspaper. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser should speak directly to the Taliban about deportation flights from Monday, he said.

Söder said there are almost 2,000 Afghans in the state of Bavaria alone who are required to leave Germany. Almost 200 of them are serious offenders, he added.

"Afghans obliged to leave the country must do so quickly, and the issuance of new visas [for Afghans] must be stopped for the foreseeable future," the conservative premier said.

"First Aschaffenburg, now Munich: Enough is enough. Germany needs an emergency plan for Afghanistan," he said, referring to another attack committed by an Afghan national in a different Bavarian city in January, which left two people dead.

According to the authorities, the alleged perpetrator of the attack in Munich was legally resident in Germany.

A court judgement rejecting his asylum application from October 2020 showed that he is said to have lied about his escape story. However, Munich city issued a toleration decision in April 2021 and granted the man a residence permit in October of the same year.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday said the man will be deported after serving his sentence. "Anyone who does something like this must expect the harshest penalties," he said.

The first deportation flight from Germany to Afghanistan since the Taliban took power three years ago took place in August 2024. It transported 28 convicted criminals who had received deportation orders back to their home country.

Faeser emphasized after the attack in Munich that deportations to Afghanistan would continue. However, such flights are difficult to implement as they require cooperation with the Taliban, either directly or indirectly via neighbouring countries.

The Taliban expressed openness to cooperating on deportations in the wake of the attack in Munich, but demanded a consular presence in Germany in return. "We have shown our willingness to resume consular services for Afghans in Germany that cover all aspects of migration," Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi told dpa.

Critics have warned in the past against such talks with the Islamist Taliban, which is isolated internationally. The Taliban could benefit from deportations by using them as an opportunity to work with a Western state, they warn.

Parliamentary committee to hold special session

The internal affairs committee of the German Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, is planning to hold a special session this week to find out more about the background to the attack and the ongoing investigation.

The meeting is expected to be held on Wednesday, according to members of the committee, but the time has not yet been set.

The leaders of the parliamentary groups received initial information about the case in a telephone conference from the Interior Ministry.

"Despite the perpetrator's statement during the interrogation, the question of motive remains the focus of attention," Martina Renner, an expert on domestic policy from The Left party, said.

Due to the particular significance of the case, the Federal Prosecutor General has taken over the investigation.

[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.

[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 (…).

[darkmaga-returns]

An incident has taken place between a German Army helicopter and a Russian ship.   Details are very sketchy at this hour, here is all I know:

The crew of the Russian ship shot "signal ammunition" believed to be a flare, at the German military helicopter, which was performing reconnaissance.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock briefly described the incident at the beginning of a NATO meeting in Brussels.  She did not give any details. The use of signal ammunition is only common in emergency situations.  Thus, the firing of such signal ammunition today, is unusual on its face.

It appears, at least initially, that the vessel involved was Russian, but NOT a military vessel.  It is described as a "tanker."  But western media coverage is now calling the vessel a "Russian warship."

Baerbock claimed that there are always ships in the Baltic Sea that are involved in circumventing sanctions for the Russian war against Ukraine.  Was this some type of justification for the presence of the helicopter?  That is unknown.

More if I get it.

[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.…

[gotohellfuckingyankees]

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the Gaza Strip belongs to Palestinians, and their expulsion would be unacceptable and contrary to international law.