Germany's Tough Talk on China: Balancing Trade and Security

Germany is walking a fine line with China. On one side, they want to keep trade open. On the other, they don't want to be left behind. The German Finance Minister, Lars Klingbeil, recently visited China. He made it clear that while he supports free markets, competition should be fair. He pointed out that European steelmakers are struggling. Chinese steel, often backed by the state, is flooding the market. This puts European industries at a disadvantage. Klingbeil was the first minister from Germany's new coalition to visit China. He believes that despite differences, the partnership can work. But he also thinks the EU needs to show a united front. China is becoming a bigger topic in EU meetings. Germany is even rethinking its trade policy towards China. Security is another big concern. Germany is taking a tougher stance on Huawei. They plan to replace Huawei components in 5G networks and ban Chinese parts from future 6G networks. This move isn't cheap, but Klingbeil sees opportunities for German and European companies. Germany also talked about rare earth restrictions and the war in Ukraine. China was pleased that Germany is defining its own interests. However, there were no breakthroughs on ending the Ukraine war. Klingbeil urged China to use its influence with Russia. He believes China might be the only country Vladimir Putin listens to.