German Foreign Minister Postpones Visit to China Berlin: Still Hopes for "Respectful and Good Communication" with China

After German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock postponed her visit to China, Chinese and German officials tried to downplay signs of escalating tensions between the two sides on Monday.

Baerbock had originally planned to begin her visit to China on Sunday. She was expected to be the first minister-level official from the government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz to visit China. According to Reuters, the trip was canceled at the last minute because China only agreed to one of her meeting requests.

Michael Meier, a deputy spokesperson for the German government, said that Germany still hopes for "respectful and good communication" with China and believes that postponing the visit will not have "any significant impact on the further policies of the German federal government."

Chinese data shows that Germany is China's largest trading partner in Europe. It is expected that bilateral trade volume will exceed $200 billion by 2025. The China-German Chamber of Commerce expressed regret over the cancellation of Baerbock's visit and stated that companies need clearer understanding of bilateral issues.

Kroll-Pietsch, general manager of a commodities trading company, had planned to join the business delegation accompanying Baerbock on the visit to China. Kroll-Pietsch said he could not comment on the cancellation of the trip. However, he said, "Trade conflicts and export restrictions driven by political motives undermine prosperity and must be resolved through constructive dialogue. Further escalation is not beneficial to the German economy."

Since Germany's national election this year, neither side has conducted any formal visits. In contrast, China's foreign minister has visited Austria, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, and Switzerland this year.

Since taking office as German foreign minister in May, Baerbock has increasingly taken a tough stance on China.

Additionally, an official from the German Ministry of Finance said that plans for high-level financial and economic dialogue between Germany and China are still ongoing. It is now China's turn to host the German finance minister. Scholz had previously expected to visit China soon. Meier said that the postponement of Baerbock's visit would not affect other cabinet members' potential visits to China.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Baerbock called for "fair" trade with China on chips and rare earth minerals. Baerbock said she plans to call Chinese representatives "as soon as possible" to reschedule the visit. When talking about this visit, she said, "It's just postponed, not canceled."

Baerbock said, "I believe this is the right decision in this situation. But for the German government, it is clear that we have a long-term good relationship with the People's Republic of China, and we are always ready for dialogue."

On Monday, when visiting Brussels, Baerbock also said that the EU must diversify key mineral and component suppliers to reduce the risk of future supply disruptions.

Baerbock added, "At the same time, we are committed to maintaining fair trade with China in all areas, including rare earths and chips." Baerbock said, "We will continue to work towards this fair communication and fair trade and believe we can find partners in Beijing."

Sources: rfi

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847181450334208/

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