London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

China’s Hamburg port deal in doubt after German security assessment

China’s Hamburg port deal in doubt after German security assessment

Potential shift on key Chinese investment comes as Berlin urges Beijing to de-escalate tensions with Taiwan.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's controversial plan to sell parts of a Hamburg container terminal to China has been thrown into uncertainty after the country's security authorities declared the facility as "critical infrastructure."

Ahead of a state visit to Beijing last year, Scholz had strongly pushed for Chinese state company Cosco to be allowed to buy a minority stake in the Tollerort terminal in the Hamburg port, overruling concerns and objections from several ministers from his own government.

However, a sudden classification of the terminal as "critical infrastructure" by Germany's Federal Office for Information Security means that Berlin has to reassess the deal, and might end up banning it. A joint investigation by German public broadcasters WDR and NDR as well as daily Süddeutsche Zeitung first reported the new security assessment.

"Since the prerequisites have changed, we ... are examining the effects on the overall situation in our area of responsibility," a spokesperson for the German economy ministry told reporters at a regular press conference Wednesday.

The new security assessment is significant because even staunch defenders of the port deal, such as Hamburg's Social Democratic Mayor and close Scholz ally Peter Tschentscher, had repeatedly argued that China would and should not be given access to critical infrastructure. The logic of encouraging Chinese investment is that those ports would then be favored by Chinese shippers that take their business there.

The acquisition in Tollerort is part of a broader strategic gambit by Beijing to gain control over infrastructure critical to its globe-spanning Belt and Road trade initiative, a network of transport connections intended to link China's factories with rich Western markets.

Cosco already owns stakes in Europe's two largest ports at Rotterdam and Antwerp, while it also controls the port of Piraeus in Athens and is behind a scheme to expand an inland rail terminal at Duisburg where the Ruhr and the Rhine rivers meet, and which is a focal point for overland freight arriving from China's industrial hubs.

The potentially tighter approach by Berlin toward Beijing comes as Europe is scrambling to deal with the fallout from an interview given by French President Emmanuel Macron to POLITICO, in which Macron said the EU should not be "America’s followers" and get "caught up" in U.S.-Chinese tensions over Taiwan.

While a German government spokesperson declined to comment on the Macron interview, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry issued an appeal to China to de-escalate tensions with Taiwan and criticized Beijing's latest military exercise close to the island nation.

"We expect all parties in the region to contribute peace. That applies equally to the People's Republic of China," the spokeperson said, adding: "And it seems to us that actions such as military threatening gestures are counter to that goal and, in fact, increase the risk of unintended military clashes."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
×