Overview
- Klingbeil, the first cabinet member of the new government to visit China, held more than six hours of talks with He Lifeng across private meetings, a finance dialogue, and a dinner.
- After the meetings, he said he received a “firm assurance” that solutions would deliver dependable supply chains for raw materials and semiconductors to German companies.
- The delegation carried special one-time phones while personal devices stayed switched off and secured in the government aircraft, following German security guidance.
- In a confidential exchange, He protested Huawei’s exclusion from Germany’s 5G and 6G networks over spying suspicions, and Klingbeil replied that protecting citizens’ data is a duty.
- Klingbeil urged China to do more to help end Russia’s war in Ukraine, as debate in Germany over leverage with Beijing persisted after Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul canceled his October visit.