Overview
- Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil opened his Beijing trip by meeting Vice Premier He Lifeng for the biennial financial dialogue, joined by Bundesbank chief Joachim Nagel and finance‑industry leaders.
- Klingbeil is pressing for fair competition, better market access and reliable supplies of critical raw materials, citing concerns over rare‑earth curbs and Chinese overcapacity in sectors such as steel and electric vehicles.
- He says he will discuss China’s potential leverage over Russia’s war on Ukraine and has warned that any military action against Taiwan would fundamentally alter Germany’s view of China.
- Green Party leader Franziska Brantner condemned the trip as sending contradictory signals after the foreign minister’s canceled visit, urging a coordinated, EU‑aligned China strategy and firm demands on chip and rare‑earth supplies.
- The visit follows China’s limited reception for Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and recent tensions over export controls and the Nexperia fallout; Klingbeil plans follow‑up meetings with German firms in Shanghai before heading to Singapore.