Dr. Jorgji KOTE
Yes, it is enough to read the following facts and be convinced that this major geopolitical point, which helps a lot to understand Chinese geopolitical standings and attitudes, and the implementation of appropriate Western strategies to successfully face today’s major Chinese challenges, is the former prominent German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt (1918 – 2015).
First of all, we clarify that Schmidt is considered the “chancellor of hearts” in Germany, in the conducted polls he is ranked after Adenauer. He is among the few multidisciplinary German and world politicians in the field of Europeanism, finance, defense, and security, the creator of the Euro together with his lifelong friend, former French President Giscard d’Estaing; founder of the G-7, the originator and initiator of the “double decision” towards Russia in the 80s, that is, negotiations with the former Soviet Union accompanied by the deployment of the American “Persching” missiles.
Unforgivable master of election campaigns, a rare orator nicknamed “Schmidt the Lip” and pragmatist or “the maker”. A politician with unquestionable integrity, for whom there was no allusion or insinuation of any affair or scandal.
As a single exception, the Military Academy in Hamburg that he founded was named after him in his lifetime. It is among the rare cases in the world when, 32 years after leaving active politics until the day he closed his eyes, he became even more famous thanks to his publishing activity with 30 “best sellers” with hundreds of writings and lectures in the world on hot current events in international relations.
Based on these values of his polyhedral personality, as a statesman of a large country like Germany, Schmidt was an advisor and point of reference for the highest German politicians, left and right and outside Germany, “the wisest man in the world” as his close political friend Dr. Henry Kissinger.
We emphasize that in his activity until he passed away in December 2015, China occupied a special place. DW’s Sinologist expert, Frank Sieren, says that “no one else, except Kissinger, has dealt with China as early, as long and with as much interest as Chancellor Helmut Schmidt”, a full 40 years at its highest levels.
He was the first German Chancellor to officially visit Beijing in 1975, where he met Mao Zedong (see photo below) and other senior leaders. He continued these visits and meetings even after leaving active politics.
In 1990, he again became the first senior Western politician to go to China as a mediator and met Deng Xiaoping (see photo below), in an effort to strengthen the reform wing. His ideas and thoughts on China were also appreciated by American President George Bush.
Later, in 2003, he met at the Hanover Fair with Premier Wen Jiabao. For the last time, despite the advanced age of 94, he visited Beijing in 2012, where he met former Premier Zhu Rongji and future President Xi Jinping. The latter, during his first official visit as President in March 2014 in Berlin, requested and held a meeting with Schmidt. (see picture below)
Schmidt has emphasized in several interviews and public events that his interest and visits to China are not related to any touristic, historical passion or any sinophobia of his. The main reason is that by knowing China well, Germany and Europe can design and implement effective strategies and action programs.
These facts show that analyses and long-term positions in relations with China necessarily require turning to the work and extraordinary help of Helmut Schmidt. Therefore, below we dwell on some of his main lessons and conclusions about China.
First, Schmidt laments the gap between the West’s better understanding of China’s senior leadership and the latter’s deficient understanding of China. Western deficits in recognizing Chinese issues, peculiarities, differences, and developments explain weaknesses in policies and attitudes toward China.
Second, Schmidt highlights the many values of the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization, which, unlike other famous civilizations that have disappeared over time, has remained alive and vital. On this occasion, he recalls that in the 15th century, China was at the peak of this civilization, from shipbuilding, printing presses to military technologies. This development went later to Europe and Latin America.
Thirdly, of great importance is the fact that Chinese civilization has generally had a peaceful character, without tormenting others. China has never had imperialist and conquering aims and/or phenomena. He cites the example of the famous Chinese Admiral in the 15th century, Zheng He, who never used his navy to attack others. On the contrary, other Western colonial countries, including Germany and Japan, are known to have made colonial invasions in China. Schmidt penetrates deeply into its developments until the coming to power of the communists with Mao Zedong and Chinese developments until 1990. He appreciates Chairman Mao as “a very impulsive, charismatic man, who impresses one’s mind and with talent”. However, he criticizes the great political movement of the 50s and the Cultural Revolution. Meanwhile, he appreciates the economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping, whom he considers the greatest communist leader of all time.
Fourthly, Schmidt highlights China’s current trends in an effort to combine traditional components and aspects with the modern development of a super-large country, without the nationalism and confrontation that have consequences for such a giant country. He expresses his amazement at the great progress made especially during the decade 2010 – 2020, giving as an example the doubling of income per capita! Likewise, Schmidt evokes advances in the field of industrialization of a special kind, achievements in the field of technology, modernization of agriculture, technology, etc.
In this context, he highlights President Xi Jinping and his strategic goals to realize the Chinese dream, the desire for peace, the reform of the Party, Chinese socialism, the fight against corruption, the protection of the environment, etc.
Fifth, an interesting conclusion is that the Chinese have indeed “captured the world”, but without military violence. With this Schmidt implies that it would be good if the American friends had learned and acted likewise!
Schmidt further suggests that the West is better off giving up arrogance and lecturing China’s top leadership. “It would be best for them to replace arrogance with fair competition”
Sixth, according to him, “Europe must realize its goals in the world in cooperation with China”. Here we are reminded of the debate that arose after the return of President Macron from his visit to Beijing on April 7th, 2023 when he declared that Europe should have its own policy towards China, independent of the USA, which created numerous debates and discussions.
This thesis, regardless of the contradictions, has its own logic, because it is known that Europe, Germany, France, etc. have created an extraordinary economic and commercial dependence on China, much greater than on Russia, due to their own fault. Therefore, in attitudes towards China, the principle “measure seven times and wait once” will be followed. Therefore, Germany has recently been making comprehensive efforts in Brazil, in order to compete economically with projects of China, as well as the EU, which has unveiled its program with 600 billion Euros in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as a counterweight to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Seventh, another important component is the one related to Western demands and pressure on human rights, issues of Tibet, Xinjiang, etc. For this, Schmidt said that “I have no right to ask others to implement these rights, which are not universal”.
In fact, despite the reservations and objections normal in a democracy, the practice has shown that Schmidt as a pragmatist politician is right. The fact is that the Western international pressure on China in the last 34 years has not been absent and has been expressed in all the visits of the highest levels to Beijing and the Euro-Atlantic metropolises and with numerous sanctions. But the result is almost nothing because China in its own right says that it has its own standards in this area as well as its alternative consultative democracy. And that Western liberal democracy is not a dogma, even it is shrinking even in the most advanced Western countries in favor of extremism, populism, and your negative “isms”. To be honest, in the era of globalization, when you seek to extract as many economic and commercial benefits from China and other large countries as Brazil, India, etc., and on the other hand condition this with ethical diplomacy, that is, with their respect for human rights, this may be right in principle, but in practice it does not work.
In conclusion, it has been about 8 years since the late Chancellor Schmidt closed his eyes. But, regardless of the nuances of the case, the geopolitical logic, arguments, and strategic suggestions of the former emblematic German Chancellor on China and its geopolitics, of course, with the adaptations of the case, remain fair and valid.
Currently, the elaboration of his political ideas and thoughts with the dynamics of the case is followed with historical objectivity by the prestigious “Helmut Schmidt” Foundation.
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