German vice chancellor visits China in difficult times

Lars Klingbeil's trip is the first visit to China by a cabinet minister of the current German government, and the trip to Berlin's most important trading partner comes at a sensitive time.

Chinese export controls, especially on rare earths, have highlighted the German economy's heavy dependence on China. The German automotive industry, for example, has felt the effects as it faces a shortage of important parts.

The trip comes six months into the current government's term and is part of the "financial dialogue" bilateral talks held regularly every two years.

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephulhad planned to travel to China at the end of October to address trade issues and other difficult topics, such as China's support for Russia in the war against Ukraine. His trip was supposed to prepare the ground for a visit by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

But the foreign minister canceled the trip at short notice when it became clear that he would not meet with any high-ranking interlocutors other than his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Previously, Wadephul had criticised China's Indo-Pacific policy as increasingly aggressive. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson had also criticized Germany's position on Taiwan, which Beijing sees as a renegade province, noting Wadephul's refusal to explicitly reject the island's independence activities. However, it remains unclear whether China's decision to confirm only one meeting was directly linked to Germany's stance on Taiwan.

The Chinese were offended by the cancellation, but later stressed that they are still interested in an exchange with the German government.

Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil met one of President Xi Jinping's closest confidants in China. Wang Huning is considered the chief ideologist of the Communist Party. He also met with the head of the CPC's International Department, Liu Haixing, who is also considered a confidant and senior advisor to President and Party leader Xi Jinping.

“We hold open political discussions during the party dialogue," said Klingbeil, who is co-chairman of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).

The party dialogue between the SPD and the CPC was initiated in 1984 by the then SPD chairman Willy Brandt and the Chinese reformer Deng Xiaoping. According to the SPD, it was the CPC's first international party relationship outside the communist bloc during the Cold War. Today, the Communist Party of China has political relations with all parties represented in the Bundestag.

"I think it's important to be in dialogue with the leaders of the CPC," said the SPD leader. "We won't always agree, but it's good to talk about things," Klingbeil said.

Critics accuse the SPD of pursuing a shadow foreign policy following Wadephul's cancellation, which Klingbeil rejects. From the Green Party's point of view, the federal government is sending contradictory signals to Beijing in any case, which appears “simply haphazard" in terms of foreign policy, as Green Party leader Franziska Brantner told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.

"Whether as party leader, vice chancellor, or finance minister, I always resolutely represent German and European interests and values, Klingbeil emphasized.

Berlin is still working on a China strategy

The new German government is launching a commission to hammer out a new China strategy. The previous center-left government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz had set itself the goal of de-risking, i.e., reducing risks and dependencies on China. However, little progress was made in this direction.

The outcome of Klingbeil's visit will ultimately determine whether the German chancellor will travel to China in the near future. Merz's early inaugural visits to European allies and the US earned him a reputation as a chancellor who makes an appearance on virtually every international stage.

But his first visit to China and also to India is still pending, even six months after taking office.

This article was originally written in German. It was first published ahead of Klingbeil's trip and was updated with details of the talks in Beijing.

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