German Foreign Minister Johan Wandefuhl, who was due to go “in the coming days to China, “will postpone his trip to a later date, a ministry spokesman said today amid trade tensions between Beijing and Europe.

“The Chinese side could not confirm several appointments other than the one with the Chinese foreign minister, the spokeswoman said at the government’s regular press conference. But, she stressed, “trade restrictions, especially in the field of rare earths and semiconductors, are of great concern to German businesses.”

The spokeswoman added that Germany regretted this development, given the importance of China, which she said is a country that “like no other exerts influence on Russia in its war against Ukraine.”