IIn the dispute over the participation of a Chinese shipping company in a container terminal in the port of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) is on the side of the proponents. “It is important to us in Schleswig-Holstein that the port of Hamburg is economically successful and that investments are made there,” said Günther on Sunday in the ARD program “Report from Berlin”. “Very defensive” action is being taken in this area. Günther pointed out that the Cosco shipping company is aiming for a minority stake in a subsidiary of the container terminal operator HHLA. “So I think it’s understandable – the path that’s being taken there,” said Günther.
Meanwhile, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil has warned against drawing hasty conclusions about the Cosco cause. The debate is sometimes very shortened, for example when the talk is about selling out the port of Hamburg, said Klingbeil on Sunday on Deutschlandfunk. It’s about “a minority stake in a terminal” and “not about letting the Chinese into the critical infrastructure.”
The Chinese shipping company Cosco wants to take over a 35 percent stake in the Hamburg container terminal in Tollerort. A review period runs until October 31, by which time the federal government could prohibit the business. If she does not do this, the sale can take place. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) rejected criticism of a possible Chinese participation at the EU summit on Friday. According to media reports, Scholz wants to enable entry against the advice of several ministers.
The admonishing example of gas storage
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt asked Scholz to “stop the Chinese entry as soon as possible”. “The sale of the gas storage facilities to Russia should serve as a warning example,” he told the “Welt am Sonntag” newspaper. “One-sided dependencies on a single region in the world create one’s own susceptibility to blackmail and a feeling of superiority on the other side.”
Klingbeil also said he urgently advises not to repeat mistakes made in dealing with Russia. There shouldn’t be any similar dependencies on China, for example in the technological area. “There are strategically important areas where I strongly advocate that we do not let China invade there.”
Klingbeil emphasized that negotiations on the Hamburg port business have been going on for a year. If the Hamburger Hafengesellschaft and Hamburg’s mayor said that this would not lead to China having an influence on critical infrastructure, “then that is something other than the sell-out of the Port of Hamburg”. This must now be clarified in detail. There are still a few days left for that. There are now talks between the state and the federal government about this.”
