GERMANY-CHINA RELATIONS IN THE LIGHT OF „ONE BELT ONE ROAD” INITIATIVE

Abstract

The basic purpose of the paper is to determine the main determinants of Germany-China political and economic relations with a special emphasis on the mega project "One Belt One Road", promulgated by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. The Federal Republic of Germany and the People’s Republic of China established their diplomatic relations on 11 September 1972. The political relations reached the pinnacle when the two countries signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement in 2014, promoting the already firmly established relations based on "strategic partnership in global responsibility" from 2004 to an even higher level. Having in mind that the Germany-China foreign trade was only one million Deutsche Marks one year after the establishment of diplomatic relations, only to reach fascinating 186 billion Euros during 2017 (according to the data of Federal Statistical Office of Germany - Statistisches Bundesamt), with China becoming a top German foreign trade partner, the impressive progress in the field of economic trade between the two countries achieved in the past 45 years is evident.

Chinese President Xi Jinping presented in September 2013 the idea of an economic revival of the Silk Road that had been used since the 2nd century AD for cooperation between Ancient China and Europe, Middle East and Central Asia. German officials expressed early support to launching the initiative of One Belt One Road, striving to ensure that Chinese investments in their own country, the EU, and the countries involved in the process of European integrations lay on transparent grounds. The positive German perception of this initiative was shaped by the desire to enable further strengthening of foreign trade, primarily better access for German goods to the Chinese market, by implementing planned infrastructural projects. Developments dwindled the initial enthusiasm of Germany to give way to concerns that its interests might be threatened by Chinese interests within the initiative "One Belt One Road," by Chinese companies purchasing German companies that would transfer the German technology further to China, threatening German economic interests in the area of Central and Southeast Europe and marginalizing German ports and railway nodes in the light of Chinese investments in other countries located on the route of the initiative.