After a second attempt, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s inaugural visit to China finally came to fruition, with the top diplomat meeting Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Vice President Han Zheng and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.
The original trip had been planned for the end of October but was canceled on short notice. At the time, it was said that Wadephul had been unable to arrange a sufficient number of high-level meetings. However, Berlin suspected that the CDU politician’s previous criticism of China, especially about Taiwan and the South China Sea, may have caused unease in Beijing.
Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province and passed the so-called Anti-Secession Law in 2005, which legitimizes the use of armed force for “reunification” with the mainland if Taiwan declares independence.
China also bristles at any international criticism of its pressure on Taiwan, often claiming such criticism amounts to outside interference in “internal” affairs.