Germany on Thursday published its first and long-awaited China strategy, which was unflinching in its appraisal of Beijing's increasing assertiveness and "unfair practices" but vague on policy measures to reduce critical dependencies.
The 64-page document comes amid a broader push in the West to reduce strategic dependence on China — labelled by policymakers as "de-risking" — amid concerns about increasing Chinese hegemony in the Indo-Pacific and broader possible supply chain disruptions.
Germany though has at times been seen as a weak link in the Western approach to China given its strong business ties with Asia's rising superpower, which became the country's single biggest trade partner in 2016.