11/17/2025November 17, 2025
After talks, China and Germany eye ‘common solutions’ on supply chains
German Vice Chancellor, and finance minister, Lars Klingbeil sounded a positive note in Beijing Monday after talks with Vice Premier He Lifeng, especially on access to industrially important rare earths.
Klingbeil said both China and Germany want to “find common solutions with regards to reliable access and supply chains” after months of European concern over Chinese export restrictions resulting from Beijing’s trade war with US President Donald Trump.
“The Chinese side doesn’t say that when it doesn’t mean it,” Klingbeil emphasized when speaking of concrete results believed to be on the horizon.
Klingbeil called cooperation with China necessary — not only on trade and raw materials, but also in the field of climate policy, global health and financial stability.
China leads the world in rare earths production — key for everything from cellphones to fighter jets — and Klingbeil insisted Beijing’s “unjustified application of export controls” poses a serious threat to the global economy.
The German finance minister and vice-chancellor also called for fair business competition between the two countries, saying, “we do not shy away from competition, but it is also clear that it must be fair.”
Citing Chinese overproduction in sectors such as steel, photovoltaic and electric vehicles, Klingbeil said, “We in Germany see this as a threat to fair competition” that puts German jobs “at risk.”
Klingbeil’s Chinese counterpart He Lifeng said both sides had emphasized their willingness to strengthen stability and security in the global supply chain, including for rare earths.
At the same time, He said, “The Chinese side invites German companies to come to China to invest.”
With regard to disputes with the European Union, He made clear that China hopes Germany will use its influence to bring the two sides closer together again.
EU seeks to reduce dependencies amid US-China trade war
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