German Economy Minister Announces Visit to China, Demands Improved Access to Rare Earth Resources
According to German public radio: During her visit to China, German Federal Minister of Economics Katrin Lühmann called for improved access to Chinese mineral and rare earth resources for Germany. Speaking during a meeting in Beijing with China's Minister of Commerce, the CDU politician emphasized that German companies need these raw materials, as modern technology would be difficult to achieve without them.
Meanwhile, Lühmann also urged trade partners to treat each other fairly and engage in open, trusting dialogue. In the context of ongoing trade tensions with the United States, China has restricted exports of seven types of rare earths and related magnet products. For Germany’s export-oriented economy, this dependency is particularly sensitive, as European firms are similarly affected by China’s export restrictions.
Lühmann also addressed the issue of Chinese investment in Germany. She stated that such investments are welcome, but must be long-term and combined with innovation. In response, the Chinese minister pointed out recent EU trade protection measures targeting products such as steel, criticizing them as having "strongly protectionist characteristics."
Last year, total bilateral goods trade between China and Germany reached approximately €250 billion, with China remaining Germany’s largest goods trading partner. In 2024, Germany imported goods worth around €170 billion from China, while its exports to China amounted to only about €81 billion. According to data from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics, roughly 5,000 German companies are currently operating in China.
The Berlin daily newspaper taz stated: Lühmann’s visit to China carries a difficult mission. While demanding access to rare earth supply chains and fair competition, she faces a trade relationship already heavily imbalanced.
When German Economy Minister Katrin Lühmann met with China’s Commerce Minister, her diplomatic remarks nearly encapsulated all core criticisms raised by German businesses. For example, she demanded stable access to rare earth metals—where China still holds de facto monopoly control. In Beijing, Lühmann said: “Competition is nothing unfamiliar to us. It drives us forward.” Yet she stressed that competition must be fair.
This imbalance is not solely due to Germany’s own delayed responses or high energy costs. Trade statistics speak volumes. The trade deficit between Europe and China exceeds €1 billion per day. Today, no EU country except Ireland and Finland has a higher export value to China than its import value.
Germany had long been an exception to this trend. But now, this former “export champion” is experiencing a sharp decline in sales of its goods to China—just in March this year alone, exports to China dropped by 14%.
Even Lühmann herself acknowledged before her visit to China, in an interview with Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger: “In the past, we did not clearly enough articulate our own interests.”
Source: rfi
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866411411999880/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.