China's commerce minister talks trade with Germany amid EU market access fears

Key facts

• Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao spoke with German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche on Monday.
• The ministers exchanged opinions on Sino-German and Sino-European economic and trade relations.
• Germany and France are reportedly pushing for a new EU tool to swiftly shut China out of the European market.
• China recently canceled two high-level meetings with the EU in Beijing.
• The EU's goods deficit with China reached nearly €360 billion in 2025.

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held a video call with German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche on Monday, discussing bilateral and EU-China economic and trade relations. This meeting occurs just over a week before the next round of trade talks between Beijing and Brussels, and amid reports that Germany and France are advocating for a new EU mechanism to rapidly exclude China from the European market.

According to a brief statement from the Chinese side, Wang and Reiche "exchanged opinions on the Sino-German and Sino-European economic and trade relations." The call comes as EU-China engagement has cooled significantly, with China recently canceling two high-level meetings with the EU in Beijing, including a digital policy dialogue and discussions with a senior EU diplomat. Neither side provided an official reason for the cancellations, but they follow the European Commission's characterization of the EU's trade relationship with China as "unsustainable," citing a goods deficit that climbed to nearly €360 billion in 2025.

The European Commission stated that the canceled meetings are being rescheduled, while China maintains that communication channels remain open. The EU has signaled potential actions, including new tariffs on Chinese goods and concerns over manufacturing overcapacity, while Beijing has responded with its own trade defense measures and export controls on critical materials.