In an interview with the newsmagazine Stern, Angela Merkel rebuffed ongoing criticisms of her foreign policy.

Opposition politicians have repeatedly critiqued Merkel for her frequent trips abroad, as well as her decision to welcome the Dalai Lama in Germany in September -- an action which has threatened Germany's economic relationship with China.

The critics have also spoken out against Merkel's clear denunciations of human-rights infractions in China and Russia.

Foreign policy: a thin, blurred line?

In her conversation with Stern, Merkel said it is "provincial to consider making foreign visits in order to lobby for our security, our environment and our well-being, less important" than domestic politics.

"Today there is no longer such a clear line between domestic and foreign policy," Merkel added.

Merkel also said she would "continue to choose state visitors and foreign trips as I see fit and useful, when it comes to serving Germany's interests."

"It is wrong and superfluous to play political values and economic success against each other, as if only one or the other is important," Merkel told Stern. "They belong together."

Criticism from Steinmeier

Merkel said she thought her approach had made Germany a more "respected partner in the world, even more so in the past two years."

The comment was seen as a clear jab at her Social Democratic predecessor Gerhard Schröder, whose government pursued a foreign policy that placated to China on human rights in favor of pursuing economic ties.

Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, also a Social Democrat, recently spoke out against Merkel's decisions on China policy. During a visit to Paris earlier in November, he told journalists he was "worried" about the escalating diplomatic tension between Germany and China in the wake of the Dalai Lama's visit.

"We have had better relations with China, that is unfortunately true," Steinmeier said. "It is a development that we cannot let remain as is."

Merkel: Support on Iran is key

He added that it was in Germany's interest to reestablish good relations with China.

Since then, the issue has given rise to several political flare-ups. But the chancellor defended her relationship with Steinmeier, telling Stern the two of them "work well together, in general."

"If you look at other governments, we can be very content," she said.

In her interview, Merkel also pleaded with the international community to support Germany in its attempt to find a diplomatic solution to the Iran crisis.