Visit should prompt Berlin to take objective view of cooperative nature of relationship

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul's visit to China early this week comes at a time when the Friedrich Merz government is reviewing its China policy and the need for responsible major-country engagement is more urgent than ever.

As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed during their talks, China and Germany must shoulder their responsibilities, uphold mutual respect, transcend differences in social systems, historical backgrounds and cultures, and work together to build a more mature model of positive interaction.

Through his productive visit, Wadephul should now have a clear sense that China always approaches its ties with Germany from strategic heights and a broad perspective.

This perspective captures Beijing's strategic view of China-Germany relations - one that looks beyond momentary frictions and keeps long-term cooperation at the center. His visit should serve to prompt Berlin to strengthen cooperation, enhance mutual understanding and foster trust.

Wadephul reaffirmed Germany's unwavering adherence to the one-China policy, and acknowledged that China and Germany need to become reliable partners. These are welcome signals. But a test of Berlin's sincerity lies in whether it can match its expressed commitments with concrete actions. Ensuring that Germany's policies toward China and its stance within the European Union do not drift toward politicization, securitization or protectionism.

As the largest trading partner with China in the EU, Germany is in a good position to know that the EU should return to a rational, pragmatic China policy. This means resolving differences through dialogue. This message was further underscored when Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with Wadephul in Beijing. Wang made it clear that China stands ready to work with Germany to safeguard free trade, uphold the multilateral trading system centered on the World Trade Organization, and use the certainty of cooperation to offset the uncertainty of external shocks.

China is gradually applying a general licensing system in areas such as rare earths and has already exempted Nexperia-related chip exports from licensing requirements. Germany, as a key voice in EU policymaking, be it about security or economy, has both the responsibility and the capability to steer China-EU relations back toward constructive engagement. It is hoped that Germany can help contribute to the resolution of the Nexperia issue.

A confidence report released by the German Chamber of Commerce in China recently shows that 53 percent of surveyed German companies plan to increase their investment in China over the next two years, while 56 percent are considering deepening their cooperation with Chinese partners.

Berlin should therefore also ensure Chinese enterprises in Germany receive a fair, open and nondiscriminatory treatment - an essential condition for sustained mutual trust.

Wadephul's visit has served to reaffirm areas of convergence and clarified expectations. China has demonstrated commitment to maintaining the healthy development of China-Germany ties. Berlin should reciprocate in kind with actions that ensure cooperation remains the defining feature of the Sino-German partnership.