Wadephul Postpones China Trip Amid Tensions

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul postponed a planned trip to China after Beijing confirmed only one substantive meeting — a sitdown with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi — leaving insufficient engagements to justify the visit. The trip would have been the first ministerial visit since Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government took office in May. The cancellation came amid rising Berlin–Beijing tensions over China’s export curbs on rare earths and chips, disputes linked to moves around the Dutch takeover of Nexperia, and German criticism of Beijing’s posture on Taiwan and in the Indo‑Pacific. Germany stressed China’s importance for trade and its unique influence over Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine; Berlin said it regretted the cancellation and is seeking to reschedule the visit.