Germany plays down China spat after foreign minister’s trip cancelled

The German government does not expect the postponement of Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s trip to Beijing to have any major impact on cooperation with China.

Deputy government spokesman Steffen Meyer said on Monday that he did not see “the postponement as having any major impact on the German government’s future policy.”

Berlin is still interested in a “respectful and good dialogue” with the Chinese government, he added.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office added: “We want to work closely together, they are interested in a constructive exchange, and so it is clear: China and Germany both need this cooperation.”

The comments came after Wadephul’s trip to China, which was due to take place this week, was cancelled at short notice last Friday after it emerged Beijing had only organized one meeting for the German minister.

Wadephul is hoping to speak to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the phone as soon as possible. However, a date has not yet been set.

It also remains unclear whether the postponement will have consequences for the plans of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose inaugural visit to Beijing is still pending.

Meyer made it clear that a trip by the foreign minister was not a mandatory prerequisite for a trip by the chancellor: “There are no such preconditions.”