SPD Chairman Lars Klingbeil recently stated that China's role in light of the current war in Ukraine is currently underexposed. Kevin Rudd says that China supports the UN system yet takes a "qualified approach to the violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine through the Russian invasion". -ls 

Katrin Rulle

China's importance in the world is growing, as we can see in the diplomatic efforts undertaken by the country's leaders, Australia's former prime minister said. "China, until a year ago, had more diplomats and more embassies spread around the world than the U.S. did." -ls

Katrin Rulle

We are very pleased that the former Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, opened the discussion with an introductory impulse. Rudd is not only a diplomat and politician but also a China expert and gave the Friedrich Ebert Foundation's guests insights into the world view and thinking of Chinese President Xi Jinping. He listed a number of China's priorities:

1. Rising to become the dominant power in the international community of nations.
2. Restoring the unity of the motherland, which could lead to conflicts with Taiwan and in the South China Sea
3. Strengthening the national economy
4. Solving environmental problems in China 
5. Modernizing the military by 2027 
6. Building stable relations with the 14 neighboring countries, including close cooperation with Russia
7. Extension of China's zone of influence in the Pacific Ocean. 

-mb

Katrin Rulle