Germany bolsters approach to more ‘assertive’ China

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Germany on Thursday adopted a tougher strategy toward a more "assertive" China, its top trade partner, in a move Beijing warned could "damage cooperation and mutual trust". Seeking a balance between competing interests of the EU's biggest economy, the document overhauls Germany's stance toward China as a "partner, competitor and systemic rival". "We want to reduce critical dependencies in future," Chancellor Olaf Scholz tweeted, saying Berlin had "reacted to a China that has changed and become more assertive". The 64-page blueprint, which the government said was embedded in the European Union's approach to China, showed Berlin was "realistic but not...