Habeck urges China to stop circumventing EU sanctions on Russia

German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck called on China to stop diverting exports of European goods to Russia that could be used in the war on Ukraine.

The EU won’t accept the circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia, Habeck told reporters in Shanghai after talks with Chinese Trade Minister Wang Wentao and industry and technology minister Jin Zhuanglong in Beijing.

“If products that are used in the military complex would no longer be imported from China, this would also help the economic relationship between our two countries,” Germany’s economy and climate minister added.

Habeck pointed out that China’s trade with Russia increased by more than 40% last year and that only a little more than half of this increase was due to energy, with the rest made up by so-called dual-use goods.

He raised the issue in talks with Chinese government officials after they complained that Germany was making it more difficult for Chinese investment in the tech sector and also imposing stricter controls on exports of critical products like dual-use goods, the vice chancellor said.

Habeck spoke with them about issues of energy cooperation, human rights and a level playing field in the area of trade. He didn’t comment on their response to the tariffs levied on imports of Chinese electric vehicles.