The visit of Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul from December 8 to 9 to China is more than a diplomatic ritual, it’s a critical test for the credibility of German foreign policy.
At a time when the Chinese government is deepening its repression, Germany should not treat human rights as a footnote. Maintaining strong economic and political relations is only possible if human rights are upheld and defended. Minister Wadephul needs to raise these issues explicitly in his talks and speak out publicly.
China’s human rights defenders are persecuted and imprisoned, media and the internet are tightly controlled, civil society has been crushed, there are no labor rights or unions, and surveillance technologies are deployed nationwide.
In Xinjiang, the authorities continue to commit crimes against humanity. At the height of the crackdown in 2017, an estimated one million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims were interned; hundreds of thousands remain imprisoned.
In Hong Kong, draconian security laws have wiped out fundamental freedoms, while in Tibet, rights are severely restricted. Religious and ethnic minorities throughout China are forced to assimilate.
Minister Wadephul should publicly reiterate his commitments to address the Chinese government’s human rights violations. Such messaging will show solidarity with the Chinese people and make clear the importance of human rights in top-level bilateral interactions.
He should press for the release of arbitrarily detained people, particularly the Uyghur Sakharov Prize winner Ilham Tohti, and Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai. He should press for an end to state imposed forced labor in Xinjiang and urge the Chinese government to allow independent labor unions across the country, including the automotive sector. He should signal that should there be no genuine measures to improve these rights, which undercuts Germany workers’ competitiveness, his government will take concrete action.
China also seeks to silence critical voices beyond its borders, through diplomatic pressure on UN bodies and human rights defenders abroad, posing a worldwide threat. The German government has already set out plans to address this transnational repression, but further measures are needed to improve the situation.
Human rights are not negotiable. They are the foundation of justice, stability, and trust. Those who gamble with them risk not only their credibility but also the future of a fair and sustainable partnership.
