Wadful was originally scheduled to visit China on October 26, but he cancelled his trip two days before departure.Image source: Georg Hochmuth/APA/picturedesk.com/picture alliance
(Deutsche Welle) German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul began a two-day visit to China on Monday (December 8). During his meeting with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Beijing, he emphasized the importance of fair trade based on norms and pointed out that the World Trade Organization (WTO) has a responsibility to develop sustainable solutions within this framework.
Waldfol stated that China is Germany's most important trading partner, and Berlin hopes to maintain and expand its partnership with China. The goal of this trip is to identify "areas that can strengthen bilateral economic and trade cooperation, while clarifying the remaining obstacles."
He pointed out that Germany does not support protectionism, stating, "We support global free trade and welcome the removal of various trade barriers." He added that the German government believes it is necessary to "closely monitor and ensure that indirect state intervention does not create competitive imbalances."
Resuming visits to China
Waldhofer was originally scheduled to visit China on October 26, but cancelled his trip two days before departure . According to political sources, the visit was "meaningless" due to the lack of sufficient high-level dialogue partners. The fact that almost no one was willing to meet with the German Foreign Minister was seen by some observers as a diplomatic embarrassment. The German Foreign Ministry explained at the time that the Chinese side had not confirmed any other meetings between Waldhofer and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The cold reception he received from China was not unrelated to Waldfol's previous remarks. Prior to his visits to Japan and Indonesia, he repeatedly criticized China's "aggressive" attitude in the Taiwan Strait, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning warned against "inciting confrontation and escalating tensions." As a result, aside from a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the German Foreign Ministry was virtually unable to arrange any other meetings between Waldfol and other high-ranking Chinese officials.
The situation has eased somewhat.
German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil's recent visit to China eased tensions. During his meeting with Chinese government representatives, he emphasized German companies' need for key raw materials while avoiding provoking them. Rare earth resources were particularly sensitive. Germany is heavily reliant on China for rare earth supplies such as lithium, which are essential for the automotive and military industries. For a long time, China has controlled the global market through low-price strategies and used it as a geopolitical bargaining chip. During the previous trade friction between China and the US, China threatened to halt exports, causing German automakers to worry about maintaining production.
Political scientist and China expert Janka Oertel said that Germany's long-term reliance on Chinese rare earths is also the result of years of inaction: Germany has not vigorously developed its domestic rare earth production due to high costs and significant environmental impact, while China has ample supply and low prices.
Another sensitive issue is China's role in the Russia-Ukraine war. German Chancellor Merz met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during the G20 summit and plans to visit China in January or February 2026 to discuss the role China can play in ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
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