On November 11, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao held a virtual meeting with Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany Katherina Reiche, at the latter’s request, to exchange views on China-Germany and China-EU economic and trade issues.

Wang Wentao noted that China and Germany are vital economic and trade partners for each other. Guided by the strategic leadership of leaders from both sides, China-Germany economic and trade relations have made steady progress, with practical cooperation deepening across various sectors. Last month, the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China adopted the recommendations for China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, an ambitious blueprint for China’s future development. China remains firmly committed to advancing high-standard opening up and fostering a world-class business environment, which will continue to create significant opportunities for foreign-invested enterprises, including German companies.

Wang emphasized that the root cause of the Nexperia issue lies in the Dutch government’s unwarranted interference in corporate internal affairs. The responsibility for the disruption and instability in the global semiconductor supply chain rests squarely with the Dutch side. Acting in a responsible manner, China has made its utmost efforts by granting export exemptions for eligible transactions, thereby alleviating short-term pressures on global industrial and supply chains. However, ensuring the long-term stability of the global semiconductor supply chain requires the Dutch government to demonstrate a constructive attitude and take concrete actions. China hopes that Germany will play a positive role and urge the Dutch government to promptly adopt tangible measures to rectify its erroneous approach, rescind the relevant restrictions, and facilitate an early resolution of the issue.

Katherina Reiche stated that the German government attaches great importance to developing economic and trade relations with China and expressed admiration for China’s economic achievements and dynamism. She noted that China-Germany economic cooperation benefits both sides, and Germany stands ready to strengthen dialogue and exchanges with China to further deepen mutually beneficial collaboration and promote more balanced and sustainable bilateral trade. Germany is closely following the Nexperia issue and stands ready to increase communication with the Dutch side on this matter.