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A Chinese government diplomat expressed hope that Germany will support its takeover of Taiwan.
Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, made the comments in a statement shared by the Chinese foreign ministry on Saturday, stating that he "hopes and believes" the European country will support its "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan.
During a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in China, Wang said that China once supported the reunification of Germany.
"To maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait, it is necessary to firmly oppose separatist activities related to 'Taiwan independence'," Wang said.
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China's Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi attends a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister in Moscow on February 22, 2023. (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Wang added that Taiwan's "return to China" was an important part of the post-World War II international order.
Baerbock said on Friday that any attempt from China to gain control of Taiwan would come with serious repercussions for Europe.
"A military escalation in the Taiwan Strait, through which ... 50% of world trade goes every day, would be a horror scenario for the entire world," said Baerbock.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks during a joint press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (not pictured) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on April 14, 2023 in Beijing, China. (Suo Takekuma - Pool/Getty Images)
Baerbock added that any potential military escalation would have "inevitable repercussions" for interests in Europe.
Her comments are seemingly at odds with what President Emmanuel Macron said following a trip to China on Sunday, urging Europe to avoid following the "American rhythm" on Taiwan.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (L) and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang attend a joint press conference at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on April 14, 2023, in Beijing, China. ( Suo Takekuma - Pool/Getty Images)
"We don't want to get into a bloc versus bloc logic," Macron said during an interview with Les Echo, adding that Europe "should not be caught up in a disordering of the world and crises that aren't ours."
"The question asked of us Europeans is the following: is it in our interest for there to be acceleration on the topic of Taiwan? No. The worst thing we Europeans could do would be to be followers on this topic and to adapt to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction," Macron said. "Why should we go at a rhythm chosen by someone else?"
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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock attends a joint press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (not pictured) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on April 14, 2023, in Beijing, China. (Photo by Suo Takekuma - Pool/Getty Images)
In a statement, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said that it strongly approved of the German foreign minister's statement.
"The Foreign Ministry thanks many high-level officials in the executive departments of various countries, including Germany, for their solidarity with Taiwan," the statement reads.
Fox News' Danielle Wallace and Reuters contributed to this report.
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