Overview
- Johann Wadephul met Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vice President Han Zheng, as well as senior Communist Party foreign‑affairs officials in Beijing.
- China signaled potential general export licences for rare earths, but Wadephul reported no firm assurances and said significant work still lies ahead.
- Wadephul urged Beijing to use its influence on Russia to push for negotiations over Ukraine, and Chinese officials made no pledge to alter their stance.
- Chinese counterparts reiterated the One‑China principle and pressed Germany to oppose any steps toward Taiwanese independence.
- The trip, rescheduled after an October postponement, reopens high‑level engagement and positions talks for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s planned visit early next year, with Wadephul heading next to Guangzhou.