“Risk-sharing” instead of “de-risking.”
Especially in the relationship with China, there is talk of “de-risking” or “decoupling”. On the EU side, politicians and some companies focus on minimizing the dependency and the risk.
At the same time, however, good relations with China must not be endangered.
How is this supposed to work? Negotiate cooperatively and talk about “de-risking” during the negotiations.
For German Foreign Minister Baerbock, “de-risking” is one of the key points in dealing with China.
I think the word “de-risking” is dangerous for negotiations. It says that you want to get away if you can.
It’s also one-sided because China doesn’t talk about “de-risking.”
A better word would be “risk-sharing” for negotiations with China. After all, China suffers just as much from deteriorating relations with the EU and has to bear many risks in the process.
Words send signals, and in difficult negotiations, every word counts. Therefore, “de-risking” should be replaced by “risk-sharing”.
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