Berlin, Germany: In its first national security strategy, Germany has stated that China poses an increasing threat to global security. The strategy, released on Wednesday, marks a shift in

Germany's emphasis from economic interests to geopolitics, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The document uses straightforward language to describe Beijing as aggressively asserting its dominance in Asia and using its economic power to achieve political objectives. It highlights various threats Germany faces, including climate change and supply chain disruptions, and outlines specific policies such as increasing defense spending and establishing a cyberattack response agency.

While analysts note that the strategy does not prioritize specific threats or contain major surprises, it does not address certain significant issues like Taiwan.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during the document's presentation, stated that this marks a major change in Germany's security policy approach, shifting from a military strategy to an integrated security concept. He added that a more detailed strategy regarding China will be developed soon.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock emphasized that security policy will now be considered more closely in economic policy decisions, citing the need to address national security concerns related to the high cost of Russian gas imports.

The National Security Strategy (NSS) identifies Russia as the top threat to European peace for the foreseeable future, given Germany's dependence on Russian gas. It emphasizes the importance of reducing dependencies on other countries for commodities and encouraging companies to maintain strategic reserves.

Germany's reliance on China as its most important trading partner, with imports and exports totaling nearly €300 billion ($325 billion), has come under scrutiny. While many German CEOs warn of the risks of severing ties with the Chinese market, there is growing acceptance among German businesses that dependence on China for critical raw materials needs to be addressed.

The strategy does not mention Taiwan, a significant security challenge for the coming years. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, while Taiwan strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims.

Opposition conservatives have criticized the strategy for lacking clarity on creating a new security order for Europe and addressing specific issues such as protecting Moldova and Georgia from Russia or considering Ukraine's NATO membership.

In response to Russia's invasion, Chancellor Scholz pledged a shift toward investing more than 2% of Germany's economic output on defense, a commitment outlined in the NSS as spending 2% "as an average over a multi-year period." Germany aims to reach the 2% defense spending target from next year, utilizing a special €100 billion fund created last year.

Analysts suggest that Germany has been too complacent in the face of new threats from assertive authoritarian states like Russia and China. The NSS reflects the need to transition from a peace dividend era to a time of investing in freedom and peace. Photo by Maximiliano Hebel, Wikimedia commons.