China FM slams Germany's 'microphone diplomacy'; Says backs despite 'protectionism' by others
by AFP Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Nov 4, 2025

China's top diplomat Wang Yi told his German counterpart that Berlin should not engage in "microphone diplomacy", just weeks after his visit to Beijing was postponed.

Germany said in October that a trip by its foreign minister Johann Wadephul to China had been shelved as meetings could not be arranged.

"The Chinese side was ultimately able to confirm only the appointment with the Chinese foreign minister, and could not confirm any other additional appointments," a spokeswoman from Germany's foreign ministry said.

Chinese trade restrictions, particularly on rare earths and semiconductors, were among the issues that Wadephul intended to discuss during the visit.

Wang held a phone call with Wadephul on Monday, during which he urged Germany not to "make unfounded accusations that run counter to facts", according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.

Berlin "should not engage in 'microphone diplomacy'", Wang added.

"China and Germany should establish a more stable and sustainable policy framework to ensure that bilateral relations always stay on the right track," he said.

China and Germany, the world's second and third-biggest economies respectively, have traditionally had close relations, particularly on the economic front.

But ties have frayed over myriad issues in recent years, ranging from claims of Beijing's unfair trade practices to human rights.

German exporters have suffered under both US President Donald Trump's tariff onslaught and Chinese export restrictions on key materials like rare earths and microchips.

Following talks between Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping on Thursday, Chinese and European Union trade officials held meetings on "mutual concerns in the field of export control" in Brussels on Friday and Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Wang on Monday also told Wadephul that the One-China principle was the "most important" political foundation of China-Germany relations.

Beijing considers Taiwan part of its own territory and has not ruled out using force to bring the self-ruled democratic island under its control.

"China once unconditionally supported Germany's reunification, and hopes Germany, having experienced the pain of division, can fully understand and support China in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Wang said.

China says committed to openness despite 'protectionism' by other countries
Shanghai (AFP) Nov 5, 2025 - China's premier vowed on Wednesday to further open up domestic markets and slammed "unilateral and protectionist" behaviour by other countries, as Beijing positions itself as an attractive destination for global firms spurned by US tariffs.

The Asian export giant has courted alternative trade partners throughout months of blistering tit-for-tat tariffs between China and the United States.

"Looking at certain unilateral and protectionist actions in the international arena today, we see they severely disrupt the international economic and trade order," Premier Li Qiang said at the opening of a major import expo in Shanghai on Wednesday.

Li warned, without explicitly mentioning the United States, that the international order had been threatened this year by "various forms of decoupling and supply chain disruption, coupled with escalating trade frictions".

He said "many multinational corporations feel that doing business is now increasingly difficult", and that developing nations were especially vulnerable to economic turbulence.

Li was speaking at the massive annual China International Import Expo, an event touted by Beijing as a platform for international economic cooperation, though foreign business groups have complained in past years the deals it generates lack substance.

Days earlier, US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping sealed a trade war pause at a meeting in South Korea, tentatively concluding months of friction between the economic and technological powerhouses.

Li on Wednesday said China was ready to work with other countries to "safeguard the stability and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains".

China kicks off programme to import more foreign goods
Shanghai (AFP) Nov 4, 2025 - China on Tuesday launched a programme to encourage its citizens to buy more imports, as Beijing pushes a long-term plan to turn the country into a major consumer nation.

Premier Li Qiang and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao announced the start of a "Big Market for All: Export to China" campaign that will see Beijing match foreign manufacturers with domestic buyers and hold more import expos, in what Wang called an effort to "make China the best export destination for more countries".

The initiative kicks off days after China and the US sealed a trade war pause at a meeting between presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in South Korea, tentatively concluding months of friction between the economic and technological powerhouses.

China is the world's largest exporter of goods, with its government announcing a global trade surplus of nearly $1 trillion in 2024.

Authorities have in recent years attempted to boost domestic consumption and project an image of openness to foreign sellers through efforts including the massive annual China International Import Expo, which reopens in Shanghai this week.

Wang, who introduced the new import programme in a speech on Tuesday, said China would select five or six countries each year to be special partners in its import promotion drive, but did not specify which nations Beijing would choose.

Sean Stein, president of the US-China Business Council, said in a speech at the same event that the initiative would promote bilateral trade, but called on Beijing to ensure "clear rules, fair competition and a predictable business environment".

Chinese authorities have struggled to lead the world's second-largest economy out of a turbulent few years marked by sluggish domestic spending, a protracted property sector crisis and the trade war with the United States.

Wang said last month that the country must strive for the "balanced development" of imports and exports.

"Efforts must be made to expand imports... to meet the needs of industrial transformation and upgrading as well as the needs of people's better lives," Wang said at the time.

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