As the European Union and the incoming Biden administration explore the option of forging a common front to deal with what is seen as the "China threat", German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has struck a note of caution, warning against hurtling down the path of decoupling.

"The world already has two poles: North and South, there is no need for another two in the East and the West," he said in an exclusive interview with The Straits Times from Berlin.