China has called on Germany to support free trade and create a fair business climate, following high-level talks and against a backdrop of growing trade tensions, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.
The meeting was between German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.
Ministry of Commerce spokesman He Yadong said in Beijing that, in light of rising protectionism, Germany and China should support free trade, expand mutual market access and create a fair, open and non-discriminatory business climate for cooperation between companies.
Wang met Reiche on Sunday in Brussels, followed by a meeting with EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič on Monday. The talks focused on China's export limits on rare earths and magnets made from them, as well as the continuation of trade policy discussions.
Reiche pushes for joint committee
At the meeting with Reiche, Wang said China hoped Germany would play an active role in the European Union to push Brussels towards a "rational stance" in trade policy with China, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Following Reiche's inaugural visit to Beijing at the end of May, Germany and China agreed to revive a joint economic committee as soon as possible.
Šefčovič said Wang had assured him that existing export limits would not affect EU supply chains. He did not elaborate on what exactly that covered when asked. Both sides also launched new trade and investment consultations aimed at defusing trade conflicts.
