China says US has ‘no right’ to interfere in deal for stake in Hamburg port

The US has “no right” to interfere in Chinese cooperation with Germany, the foreign ministry said on Thursday, after Washington “strongly suggested” that Beijing would not get a controlling stake in a contested deal regarding Hamburg’s port terminal.

US interference is symptomatic of its practice of coercive diplomacy, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing in Beijing.

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“Pragmatic cooperation between China and Germany is a matter for the two sovereign countries, the United States should not attack it without reason and has no right to meddle and interfere,” Zhao said on Thursday, a day before German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was due in Beijing for a one day visit where he is expected to meet President Xi Jinping.

Chinese shipping giant Cosco made a bid last year to take a 35 percent stake in one of logistics firm HHLA’s HHFGn.DE three terminals in Germany’s largest port, but Germany’s coalition has been divided over whether to let the deal go ahead.

Last week the German cabinet approved a 24.9 percent stake investment by Cosco in what an economy ministry source described as an “emergency solution” to approve the deal but mitigate the impact.

The approved investment does not give Cosco any say in management or strategic decisions.

Read more: US ‘strongly suggested’ there be no controlling interest by China in Hamburg port