March 28. 2024. 2:40

The Daily

Read the World Today

China disinvites German minister last-minute


German Finance Minister Christian Lindner will no longer travel to Beijing as his Chinese counterpart Liu Kun, whom he was set to meet Wednesday, cancelled at the last minute – a move experts speculate could run deeper than a simple scheduling conflict.

According to an announcement from the German Finance Ministry, Liu Kun unexpectedly cancelled Wednesday’s meeting just two days in advance.

“The Chinese finance ministry has asked during the weekend that the two ministers’ talks planned for 10 May be postponed due to scheduling reasons,” they told Welt, adding that the Chinese side gave no further explanation prompting speculation over the real reason behind the cancellation.

Both Lindner and his party, the liberal FDP, are seen to have a rather distanced relationship with China and have called for Germany and the European Union to be cautious about their relationships with the “systemic rival.”

Most recently, Education and Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, also of the liberal FDP, was the first German government member to visit Taiwan. The visit prompted the Chinese embassy in Germany to express “significant displeasure.”

“Whether the cancellation has anything to do with the FDP’s position that Germany needs to be assertive vis-à-vis Beijing is a matter of speculation,” the Finance Ministry told Welt.

The planned meeting between Lindner and Kun had been meant to prepare the two countries for upcoming government consultations. According to the German ministry, it will now be scheduled for a later date, which is yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, the German coalition government has postponed the presentation of its planned China strategy multiple times already.

The document outlines the country’s future approach to political and economic relations with Beijing.

(Julia Dahm | EURACTIV.de)

Read more with EURACTIV

EU socialist chief: Cooperation with the EPP no longer possible

EU socialist chief: Cooperation with the EPP no longer possible

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Slovakia’s prime minister resigning, German conservatives facing criticism for visiting controversial Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and so much more.