German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Friday that the best way to influence China on the Hong Kong dispute was for the European Union to stand united in its response and to maintain dialogue with Beijing.

BERLIN (Reuters) – German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Friday that the best way to influence China on the Hong Kong dispute was for the European Union to stand united in its response and to maintain dialogue with Beijing.
Asked about the possibility of imposing sanctions, Maas told reporters: “I think the past has shown that it is, above all, important to have a dialogue with China in which the EU very cohesively brings both its issues and principles to the fore and then we will see where this dialogue leads.”
Reporting by Michelle Martin; editing by Thomas Seythal