German foreign minister in ‘last stages of coordinating’ trip to China

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has revealed he is now in the “last stages of coordinating” a trip to China, after his planned visit to Beijing last month was hastily cancelled.

Speaking at the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum on Tuesday, Wadephul said he was “confident” that the trip would be rescheduled soon. It is thought that the conservative minister would be in the Chinese capital in the second week of December.

Wadephul postponed his planned trip in October after failing to arrange enough meetings. Since taking office, he has taken an assertive approach towards China.

It is thought that Beijing was upset at comments he made about the Taiwan Strait while visiting Japan during a commemorative period for the second world war.

His trip would serve as a precursor for the first visit to China by Chancellor Friedrich Merz since the German leader took office earlier this year.

In an interview with German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle on Monday, Merz confirmed that he planned to visit China in January or February next year.