Europe must not turn a blind eye to the tensions between China and Taiwan because a military escalation in the region would be a “worst-case scenario” for the global economy, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Thursday. Speaking during a visit to China, Baerbock struck a different tone to French President Emmanuel Macron, who warned the European Union last week not to get “caught up in crises that are not ours” with regard to Taiwan. “Germany and the European Union are economically vulnerable, which means that we cannot be indifferent to the tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” Baerbock said – in an audio file provided by her ministry – during a stopover in the Chinese port of Tianjin. (https://neuters.de/world/baerbock-warns-europe-against-turning-blind-eye-tensions-over-taiwan-2023-04-13/) Macron’s comments drew a backlash in the United States and Europe as they were widely perceived as taking a weak line on Taiwan and a gift to what analysts called Beijing’s goal of dismantling transatlantic unity. As a result, the stakes of Baerbock’s inaugural China trip have risen, with many EU members hoping Germany will use this opportunity to set out a clear and united EU line on China.