A difficult partnership German China policy between human rights claims and economic interests 1989 to 1996

The Tiananmen Square Massacre on 4 June 1989 marked a turning point in German-Chinese relations, which had shown a positive trend after Deng Xiaoping's accession to office. The human rights issue became a key element of Germany's China policy, previously driven mostly by economic interests. In the early 1990s, Germany's policy on China was situated in a dynamic triangle: The question is what role the Bundestag, the business lobby and the development of Chinese politics played for the German Federal Government and in particular the Federal Foreign Office. Special attention is given to the question of the relative importance of human rights and the significance of the arguments used to support the expansion of relations with China despite its violations of human rights.