China slams Germany for ‘inciting confrontation’

China yesterday lashed out at Germany, warning Berlin against "inciting confrontation and hyping up tensions" after its foreign minister said Beijing was "increasingly aggressive" in the Asia-Pacific region.

During a visit to Japan, Johann Wadephul said China had made repeated threats to "unilaterally change the status quo and shift borders in its favour", citing its behaviour in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas.

"Any escalation in this sensitive hub of international trade would have serious consequences for global security and the world economy," Wadephul said yesterday.

A statement issued on Sunday before Wadephul's visit to Japan and later Indonesia said that China was "increasingly asserting its regional supremacy and, in doing so, is also questioning principles of international law."

"China's increasingly aggressive behaviour in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas also has implications for us in Europe: fundamental principles of our global coexistence are at stake here," the statement quoted Wadephul as saying.

China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning hit back yesterday, telling a regular news conference that the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea "remains generally stable".

"We urge the relevant parties to respect regional countries, resolve issues through dialogue and consultation, and safeguard the common interest of peace and stability, instead of inciting confrontation and hyping up tensions," she said when asked about Wadephul's comments.

"The Taiwan question is China's internal affair," she added. In the joint press statement in Tokyo, Wadephul also criticised "China's support for the Russian war machine" in Ukraine.

"Without it, the war of aggression against Ukraine would not be possible. China is Russia's largest supplier of dual-use goods and Russia's best oil and gas customer," Wadephul said.