German media: It's still necessary to go! German Foreign Minister Wadephul restarts his visit to China

German Foreign Minister Wadephul will embark on a visit to China this weekend. He had originally planned to visit China in October, but canceled the trip just before departure, which once put Sino-German relations in an awkward situation. What will he discuss with China this time?

Still going: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will travel to China on Sunday, December 7th, for a visit to discuss various issues with Chinese officials. However, more importantly, it may be about ensuring a smooth atmosphere for the talks.

Wadephul had initially planned to visit China on October 26th, but canceled the trip two days before departure. According to political sources, there was no sufficient high-level counterpart to talk to, and the visit "had no meaning." Almost no one was willing to meet with the German foreign minister, which some observers viewed as an embarrassing diplomatic situation. The German Foreign Ministry's explanation at the time was that China had not confirmed any other meetings for Wadephul apart from the meeting with the Chinese foreign minister.

Being cold-shouldered by China is related to Wadephul's previous statements. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning issued a warning against "inciting confrontation and escalating tensions." As a result, apart from meeting with the Chinese foreign minister, the German Foreign Ministry found it almost impossible to arrange other high-level meetings for Wadephul with Chinese officials.

The situation has eased somewhat

German Deputy Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil recently visited China, easing the tense atmosphere. During his meetings with Chinese government representatives, he emphasized Germany's need for key raw materials, while also avoiding angering the other side. Particularly sensitive was the issue of rare earth resources. Germany is highly dependent on China for rare earths such as lithium, which are essential for the automotive industry and military products. For a long time, China has controlled the global market through low-cost strategies and used it as a geopolitical lever. During the previous U.S.-China trade friction, China once threatened to stop exports, and German car factories worried about being unable to maintain 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 did not develop its own domestic rare earth production due to high costs and environmental impacts, while China provided ample supply at low prices.

Source: DW

Original: toutiao.com/article/1850688654393611/

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