Sino-German Relations

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Sino-German relations were established in the late 19th century when Germany and China made direct contact. The German empire was at that moment in time a new state, founded by the German unification of 1871. The relations were on the whole, frosty, with Germany joining imperialist powers like Great Britain and France in carving out spheres of influence in the Chinese empire. The Germans also participated in the crushing of the Boxer Rebellion, commiting numerous atrocities against the Chinese civilians. After the European War, relations gradually improved, though this would gradually change during the 1930's as Adolf Hitler allied himself with Japan. During the aftermath of World War II Germany was split in two states: a liberal democratic West-Germany and a communist East-Germany. The Western part was due to the Cold War tensions allied with the United States against communism and thus allied against China. The Eastern part was allied through the Soviet Union with China. After the German reunification relations between Germany and China gradually and vastly improved.

Contents 1 Early relations 2 Sino-German cooperation (1911-1941) 3 World War II (1941-1945) 4 Division of Germany and the Cold War (1945-1991) 5 Reunification of Germany: friendly relations with China

[edit] Early relations

The earliest Sino-German trading occurred overland through Siberia, and was subject to transit taxes by the Russian government. In order to make trading more profitable, Germany decided to take the sea route and the first German merchant ships arrived in China, then under the Qing Dynasty, as part of the Royal Prussian Asian Trading Company of Emden, in the 1750s. In 1861, following China's defeat in the Second Opium War, the Treaty of Tientsin was signed, which opened formal commercial relations between various European states, including Prussia, with China. Prussia would later on become the dominant and leading part of the newly founded German empire.

During the late 19th century, Sino-foreign trade was dominated by the British Empire, and Otto von Bismarck was eager to establish German footholds in China to balance the British dominance. In 1885, Bismarck had the Reichstag pass a steamship subsidy bill which offered direct service to China. In the same year, he sent the first German banking and industrial survey group to evaluate investment possibilities, which led to the establishment of the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank in 1890. Through these efforts Germany was second to Britain in trading and shipping in China by 1896.

German empire invaded and occupied Qingdao in 1897 and in 1900 jointed the Eight-Nation Alliance.

[edit] Sino-German cooperation (1911-1941)

Main article: Sino-German cooperation (1911-1941).

Although intense cooperation lasted only from the Nazi takeover of Germany in 1933 to the start of the war with Imperial Japan in 1937, and concrete measures at industrial reform started in earnest only in 1936, it had a profound effect on Chinese modernization and capability to resist the Japanese in the war.

[edit] World War II (1941-1945)

Main article: World War II

[edit] Division of Germany and the Cold War (1945-1991)

Main article: Cold War

[edit] Reunification of Germany: friendly relations with China

The frequent high-level diplomatic visits are acknowledged to have helped guarantee the smooth development of Sino-German relations. From 1993 to 1998, German and Chinese leaders met face-to-face 52 times: Among those Chinese leaders who visited Germany were President Jiang Zemin; Qiao Shi, former chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC); and Li Peng, former premier and chairman of the NPC Standing. Meanwhile, German leaders who visited China included President Roman Herzog, Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel and Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office Ludger Volmer. Among these leaders, Chancellor Kohl visited China twice in 1993 and 1995. Since the new German government came into power in October 1998, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has paid three visits to China. One after another from Germany came Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping, and Minister of Economics and Technology Werner Müller. At the same time, Germany welcomed Chinese Primer Zhu Rongji, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, State Councilor Wu Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Wei Jianxing as well as Vice President Hu Jintao.

Relations would remain to improve after 1998. For instance, in 2006 both Germany (the largest economy and the most populous country of the European Union) and China further enhanced their bilateral political, economic and diplomatic ties within the framework of Sino-EU strategic partnerships. In February 2006 German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited China. Hu Jintao appreciated German new Merkel government's adherence to the one-China policy and the high priority it gives to relations with China.

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