Key facts
- German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil canceled his trip to India.
- The cancellation was due to "current developments" in Berlin.
- Baerbel Bas, co-leader of the SPD party with Klingbeil, will step down from her roles.
- Bas's decision to step down follows the death of her stepdaughter.
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has canceled the India portion of his Asia trip this week, citing "current developments" in Berlin, according to a statement from his ministry on Monday. The announcement came shortly after Baerbel Bas, who shares leadership of the center-left SPD party with Klingbeil and also serves as Germany's labor minister, stated she would resign from both positions following the death of her stepdaughter.
Additional sources indicate that German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul had also postponed a trip to China due to Beijing confirming only one requested meeting, signaling growing tensions between Berlin and Beijing over trade and security. Wadephul was scheduled to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal in Brussels to discuss continued support for Ukraine, European security, and international trade issues, including raw materials and computer chips. The EU and India are also working towards a free trade pact by year-end.