【Text by Observers Network, Qi Qian】

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had originally planned to visit China on October 26, but canceled the trip at the last minute, causing widespread concern in German society.

According to Reuters and AFP, on the 27th, Baerbock said that she plans to "talk with China as soon as possible" and reschedule her visit to China. When talking about the cancellation of the previous trip, she claimed, "It was just postponed, not canceled."

"For the German government, it is clear that we maintain a long-term good relationship with China," Baerbock said in an interview. "We are always ready for dialogue with China."

In the interview, Baerbock again discussed the rare earth issue. After China introduced new export control measures on rare earths, EU countries are in a panic.

Baerbock stated that the EU must diversify its key mineral and component suppliers to reduce risks. She also said, "At the same time, we are committed to ensuring fair trade with China in all areas, including rare earths and chips. We still commit to this fair communication and fair trade and believe we can find partners in Beijing."

According to German media, the deputy spokesperson of the German government, Stephan Mayer, stated on the same day that he believed this delay would "not have a significant impact on the government's policy" and emphasized that Germany still has an interest in "respectful and good communication" with China. He added that Germany hopes to continue close cooperation, and China is an indispensable partner. "Clearly, both China and Germany need this cooperation."

Mayer also said that this change would not affect the visit plan of German Chancellor Scholz, who is also about to visit China. He stated that there are no "preconditions" requiring the foreign minister to visit China before the chancellor.

Video screenshot of the new German Foreign Minister Baerbock giving a speech

The report said that Baerbock had originally planned to start her visit to China on Sunday (October 26). She was to become the first minister from the Scholz government to visit China. Among those accompanying Baerbock were the president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and the managing director of the German rare earth importer Noble Elements.

Before the trip, Baerbock said in an interview that one of the goals of this trip was to persuade China to relax its restrictions on critical mineral exports.

She also made remarks about the Taiwan Strait, claiming that if free flow "is no longer possible due to violent conflict, it will affect the prosperity of many regions in the world." She said that Germany will remain firm in its One-China policy, "which also includes avoiding violence that changes the status quo."

Regarding this, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Guo Jiancong, responded previously, stating that only saying the maintenance of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, but not opposing "Taiwan independence," is essentially condoning and supporting "Taiwan independence" activities, which will severely impact the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese side hopes that Germany strictly adheres to the One-China principle, clearly opposes any "Taiwan independence" secessionist acts.

However, on the 24th, Baerbock canceled the visit at the last minute. The German Foreign Office spokesperson attributed this to "the inability to arrange enough meetings in China." The public believes that this indicates the rising tension between the two sides on trade and security issues.

Baerbock comes from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party of Scholz. Reuters reported that overall, since becoming Foreign Minister in May, his stance toward China has been more hardened than that of the Social Democrats in the ruling coalition.

After Baerbock canceled the visit to China, it caused general anxiety in German society, worrying that this move would escalate tensions and harm the German economy.

Adis Ahmetović, the spokesperson for the Social Democrats' foreign affairs, said on the 25th that this was not a "good sign." He called on Germany to rethink its strategy toward China and emphasized the need for a positive and strategic foreign policy more than ever before.

Germany is the largest economy in Europe, and China is the largest economy in Asia. This year, China has once again become Germany's largest trading partner.

According to preliminary official statistics from Germany, China replaced the United States as Germany's largest trading partner this year. The trade volume between Germany and China reached 163.4 billion euros, slightly higher than the 162.8 billion euros between Germany and the US. The main reason for the change is that the US reactivated its tariff policy, leading to a decline in Germany's exports to the US, while Germany's imports from China increased significantly. Germany's economy has faced three years of contraction.

The China-Germany Chamber of Commerce expressed regret over the cancellation of the trip, stating that businesses need more clarity on bilateral issues.

Andreas Kroll-Pich, managing director of the German goods trading company, was originally part of Baerbock's visiting group. He said he could not comment on the cancellation of the trip, but told journalists, "Trade conflicts and export restrictions motivated by politics undermine prosperity and must be resolved through constructive dialogue... further escalation does not serve Germany's economic interests."

According to the website of the Foreign Ministry, Guo Jiancong responded again on the 27th regarding the related issues, stating that China has always viewed and developed Sino-German relations from a strategic perspective and in the long term. As major powers and major economies in the world, China and Germany should cooperate mutually beneficially. Especially under the current circumstances, both sides should adhere to mutual respect, equality, and win-win cooperation, and promote the development of bilateral relations along the correct track.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566062585565413923/

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