China urges Germany to uphold fair trade after ministerial talks

Chinese trade minister Wang Wentao met German economy minister Katherina Reiche and EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic in Brussels, urging Germany to support free, non‑discriminatory trade and to expand market access between the two sides. Beijing called on Berlin to play an active role within the EU to foster a "rational" trade stance and warned against growing protectionism.

The talks covered China’s export controls on rare‑earth elements and magnets, with Chinese officials assuring that these measures would not disrupt EU supply chains. Both parties agreed to revive a joint economic committee and to launch new trade‑ and investment‑consultations aimed at easing tensions. The meeting comes as the EU grapples with a large trade deficit with China and debates additional tariffs, while a European heatwave has boosted demand for Chinese air‑conditioning products such as those from Midea.