The German government has said it does not expect any major setback in its relations with China after briefly postponing Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful’s visit to Beijing.
“It has only been postponed, not cancelled,” Wadefull said of the trip.
The postponement came after Beijing confirmed only one official event, a meeting with Wadeful’s Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, while refusing to arrange further high-level appointments, according to the Foreign Ministry. The trip was planned for Monday and Tuesday.
“I believe this was the right decision in this situation. But for the German government, it is clear that we have had good relations with the People’s Republic of China for a very long time,” Wadefull said. “We are always ready to negotiate.”
What did Berlin say on his visit to China?
Deputy government spokesman Stefan Meyer said he saw “no significant impact on government policy” from the delay and stressed that Berlin was interested in “respectful and good exchanges” with China.
A German Foreign Ministry spokesman described China as an indispensable partner and said Germany wants to continue close cooperation. “It is clear that both China and Germany need this cooperation,” the spokesperson said.
Wadefull, a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative CDU party, was scheduled to travel to China earlier this week, but the trip was postponed on Friday after Beijing failed to confirm meetings beyond a planned session with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The foreign minister now intends to hold a phone conversation with Wang “as soon as possible”, although no date has been set.
The mayor clarified that this change will not affect the travel plans of Merz, who is also scheduled to visit China soon. The mayor said there were “no preconditions” requiring a visit by the foreign minister before a potential chancellor’s visit.
Wadefull said he planned to speak to Chinese representatives by phone “as soon as possible” and reschedule the trip. “It has only been postponed, not cancelled,” he said of the trip.
What did China say?
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun called for “mutual respect and equality,” saying cooperation between the two major economies benefits both sides. He urged Berlin and Beijing to “keep relations on the right track”, noting that global circumstances make stable relations more important than ever.
Wadefull and Wang Yi met in Berlin in July when they discussed China’s export restrictions on rare earth metals used by German businesses to make sensors, electric motors and other goods.
Bans on rare earths and semiconductors were also among the issues Wadefull intended to discuss during the visit.
Edited by: Louis Olofse