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Zhao Ziwen

China’s deliveries of rare earths, semiconductors and other commodities to Germany dominated the talks between German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Monday.
“In all of these areas, there has been uncertainty, and that needs to be eliminated,” Wadephul said as he began a trip to China aimed at addressing Berlin’s trade and geopolitical concerns.
According to Reuters, Beijing was far from being persuaded to grant general export licences for rare earth minerals that German manufacturers rely on.
A separate report from Bloomberg said Wadephul told the commerce minister that China was Germany’s “most important trading partner”, and Berlin wanted to “stick to that” and to “expand that”.
Wadephul is also expected to meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Liu Haixing, the Communist Party’s diplomatic head.
The visit is expected to pave the way for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s first trip to China early next year.
The German foreign minister set the tone before his trip. In a statement from Germany’s foreign office, he said: “Trade restrictions, particularly concerning rare earth elements, are a major concern for our companies, as are overcapacities in electromobility and steel.
“Germany and China have much to offer each other: German products are in demand in China. Conversely, China’s market and innovative strength are attractive to many German companies.”


European countries, especially Germany as a manufacturing hub, find themselves vulnerable in the face of China’s dominance of rare earth supplies.
China accounts for about 70 per cent of global rare earth mining and roughly 90 per cent of the world’s processing capacity, giving it powerful leverage over Western manufacturing.
China has placed export controls on the 17 rare earth elements, which are widely used in the car, consumer electronics and defence industries – all crucial for the German economy.
Last month, Lars Klingbeil, Germany’s vice-chancellor and finance minister, visited China and was promised a “reliable” flow of rare earth mineral exports. Germany is pushing to enforce that promise.
The European Union is seeking to reduce dependence on China’s supply chain, with a package of US$3.5 billion to help member states secure critical raw materials.
Ties between Berlin and Beijing have also been clouded by trade tensions and China’s trade surplus with both Germany and the EU.
China reclaimed its position as Germany’s biggest trading partner in the first eight months of this year after the US unseated it last year.
But Berlin’s trade deficit with Beijing continues to expand, and China is expected to rank as only the sixth-largest export market for Germany, behind Italy, according to Germany Trade and Invest. The agency also predicted that Germany’s trade deficit with China would break a record to reach €87 billion (US$101.35 billion) this year.
Wadephul had to cancel a planned visit in October after securing only one meeting with top diplomat Wang. The delay came after Wadephul in August accused Beijing of making repeated threats to “unilaterally change the status quo and shift borders in its favour” in the Taiwan Strait, East China Sea and South China Sea.
But during his meeting on Monday with Han Zheng, China’s vice-president, Wadephul said Berlin would “firmly adhere to the one-China policy”, according to Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency.
“The Taiwan issue lies at the very core of China’s core interests, and China hopes that Germany will strictly adhere to the one-China principle,” Han said, according to Xinhua.
The vice-president also urged Germany to play “a positive role in promoting healthy and stable development” of China-EU relations.


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Critical minerals, semiconductors and other commodities dominate talks as Johann Wadephul begins trip to China aimed at addressing trade


Critical minerals, semiconductors and other commodities dominate talks as Johann Wadephul begins trip to China aimed at addressing trade.


German foreign minister calls for end to ‘uncertainty’ on Chinese rare earths, chips

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Critical minerals, semiconductors and other commodities dominate talks as Johann Wadephul begins trip to China aimed at addressing trade

Critical minerals, semiconductors and other commodities dominate talks as Johann Wadephul begins trip to China aimed at addressing trade