Germany will be forced to sever ties with China just as it has severed relations with Russia if China attacks Taiwan, Social Democrat (SPD) leader Lars Klingbeil said in a commentary to the weekly Die Zeit.

Germany is working on a new strategy toward China, which involves a more sober approach to relations and aims to reduce dependence on the Asian economic superpower.

Klingbeil said Germany must become more independent of China, open other markets and find other partners to trade raw materials, adding, this is a big lesson from German relationship with Russia.

In recent years, German politicians and business leaders have already advocated greater diversification of trade with Asia.