Germany’s foreign minister Thursday criticised China over its “unilateral and often not very transparent” export restrictions on rare earths, warning they were harming ties between the world’s third- and second-biggest economies.
Beijing has since April required licences to export the strategic materials, which are used in a wide variety of products from electric car batteries to hard drives.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, speaking at a news conference alongside Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Berlin, said the curbs were of “great concern” to German businesses.
“This uncertainty is damaging our trade relations and also damaging China’s image in Germany as a reliable trading partner overall,” he said.
Wang, who is on a tour of Europe, insisted that rare earths were “dual-use goods” with civilian and military applications, which meant their export needed to be controlled, adding: “This is part of our sovereignty.”
China, which is seeking to improve relations with the European Union as a counterweight to the United States, has proposed establishing a “green channel” to ease the export of rare earths to the bloc, its commerce ministry said last month.
The curbs have caused concern among businesses worldwide as China accounts for almost two-thirds of rare earth mining production and 92 percent of global refined output
Wadephul also expressed concern about Beijing’s links to Russia’s war in Ukraine, cautioning against the “delivery of goods that are also important for the war effort”.
But Wang responded: “We are striving for peace and negotiation. We are not supplying lethal weapons to the parties involved in the conflict.”
China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in Russia’s more than three-year war with Ukraine.
But Western governments say Beijing’s close ties have given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support, including by failing to stop the flow of goods that can be used by Russia in its offensive.
Beijing and Berlin have long had close ties, particularly on the economic front, with the Chinese market becoming a key destination for Germany’s industrial titans.
Thursday’s visit marked Wang’s first trip to Germany since a conservative-led government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz took power in May.
