German Official Calls for EU Unity in Rivalry With China

German Official Calls for EU Unity in Rivalry With China
A European Union flag and a German national flag fly over the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, on May 25, 2011. Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images
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Europe must demonstrate greater unity in its relations with China, a senior German official has argued, as “not a single country in Europe is capable of permanently standing up for its interests and values vis-à-vis China on its own.”

“We urgently need more European action in our dealings with China,” said Michael Roth, Germany’s minister of state for Europe, who stressed “lack of unity is our Achilles’ heel.”