The German Foreign Minister spoke about the importance of trade relations between China and Germany

It is important for Germany to maintain trade relations with China, as well as the need for access to Chinese resources. This was announced on December 8 by German Foreign Minister Johann Vadefuhl.

"It's not just about relations with Germany, but also about access to the European market. Therefore, we also have something to say, something to contribute. This is important for Beijing, and on the other hand, we naturally need access to the Chinese market. We need raw materials, rare earths, we need chips," the Foreign Minister said on ZDFheute.

According to him, European countries can criticize China, but at the same time "they must be realistic about their own situation."

"In the end, this is not a matter of diplomacy, but perhaps even a matter of manners. And we need to be a little more realistic about this issue, having a 3% share in the global economy. Unfortunately, the Chinese already have 20%," Vadefulh said.

He stressed that Germany, like most Western countries, "missed the opportunity to purchase rare earth metals" from China.

"Now we are in a position where, I would be careful to say, we cannot just make demands," the politician concluded.

Vadefoul arrived in China on a visit amid plans by the European Union (EU) to tighten trade measures against Beijing. The trip was scheduled for October, but due to disagreements over restrictions on Chinese exports of microcircuits and rare earth metals, it was canceled. However, after that, representatives of China and Germany held meetings on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

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Reuters reported on December 7 that Vadefoul plans to raise the issue of rare earths and steel during his official visit to China. The trip will be the first visit by the foreign minister after he assumed the post, amid trade tensions between Beijing and Brussels.

On November 8, it was reported that the ruling coalition of Germany plans to review trade policy towards China, including in energy, imports of raw materials and Chinese investments in critical infrastructure, and will also create a committee of experts that will report to parliament.

The Bild newspaper said on October 28 that Berlin had sent a diplomatic note to Beijing over the ban on the supply of Chinese microchips to Europe. According to German Minister of Economy and Energy Katerina Reiche, the government has not yet been able to solve the problem of the shortage of chips.

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