German media reported on the 24th that Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul of the federal government postponed his visit to China. The German side stated that, apart from a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, no other meetings had been confirmed.
Photo source: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
A spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry said, "We have postponed this visit to a later time," and "in these days, we have many issues we wish to discuss with China." The spokesperson emphasized that although the German government is pushing for economic and supply chain diversification and enhancing competitiveness, Germany "still hopes to cooperate with China." At the same time, German companies are deeply concerned about recent trade issues.
The spokesperson also said that the interests of Germany and Europe lie in hoping that China can play a role in resolving the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The German government very much hopes to "maintain a partnership-style communication" with China on all relevant issues, and expressed regret that the meeting could not be held as scheduled.
According to the original plan, Wadephul was supposed to depart for China this Sunday, which would also be the first ministerial visit to China under the Merkel government. According to reports, Wadephul planned to raise a series of sensitive issues with the Chinese side during the visit, while also exploring broader cooperation. Wadephul said that China is a key participant in the international community, and its global influence is also increasing. China can use its strong influence to encourage Russia to actively participate in peace negotiations.
Over the past few months, Wadephul has frequently criticized China on the Taiwan Strait issue. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson responded by stating that requiring the maintenance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait without explicitly opposing "Taiwan independence" is equivalent to supporting "Taiwan independence" activities. China urged Germany to take an explicit position against "Taiwan independence" and strictly abide by the one-China principle.
Photo source: berlin.de
According to this, the German newspaper Bild reported, "No one in China wants to meet Wadephul."
(European Times Germany Edition Li Shuai comprehensive report, please note the official account GermanReport when reprinted)
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7564997993829581366/
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