China poses a growing threat to global security, Germany said in its first national security strategy on Wednesday, underscoring Berlin’s shift in emphasis from economic interests to geopolitics following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Reuters said in a report.

Using blunt language about its top trading partner, the strategy document describes Beijing as aggressively claiming supremacy in Asia and seeking to use its economic might to achieve political goals, the source added.

At nearly 300 billion euros ($325 billion) in imports and exports, China is Germany’s most important trading partner and a core market for top German companies.

While that dependency has come under scrutiny, many German CEOs have warned of the risks of cutting or reducing links with the world’s second-biggest economy.

TM/PR