Photo via The Straits Times

China and Europe should not fight trade wars, Chinese foreign minister says

Read the original at The Straits Times ↗
Cite

The Straits Times. (2026, September 22). China and Europe should not fight trade wars, Chinese foreign minister says. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/world/china-and-europe-should-not-fight-trade-wars-chinese-foreign-minister-says

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

The Straits Times · collected 2026-09-22 · by The Straits Times

Quick Summary

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated during a call with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on September 21 that China and Europe should avoid trade wars, emphasizing they are strategic partners. Wang stressed the importance of dialogue to address concerns and hoped Germany would maintain a pragmatic stance within the EU, supporting free trade and opposing protectionism. The ministers also discussed regional issues like Iran and Ukraine, with Wang expressing hope for German action to support peace in the Taiwan Strait.
Written by AI on 2026-09-22, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on September 21, urging Europe and China not to engage in a trade war since they are comprehensive strategic partners. Wang emphasized the need for dialogue and consultation to address concerns bilaterally. He also asked Germany to maintain a rational stance within the EU, promoting free trade and rejecting protectionism. The EU plans to meet in mid-October to assess its trade deficit with China and consider new policies against what it perceives as unfair Chinese practices.

Written for “Chinese Trade Relations Europe Usa” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Chinese Trade Relations Europe Usa
Economy/Business · 2 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans left and hedges 15% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Deutsche Welle
Hedges 3 of 50 claims Outlet record 95/100
“The articles cover related topics but describe different events: one discusses a meeting in Düsseldorf focusing on US-China trade rivalry, and the other reports on a call between Chinese and German foreign ministers emphasizing no trade wars.”
South China Morning Post
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 2 of 8 claims Outlet record 63/100
“The articles discuss different diplomatic interactions: one between China's foreign minister and Germany, while the other is about the relationship between China and the United States.”
South China Morning Post
Hedges 1 of 3 claims Outlet record 63/100
Deutsche Welle
Hedges 4 of 52 claims Outlet record 95/100
“Article A describes a phone call between Chinese and German foreign ministers discussing trade relations, while Article B discusses broader US-China rivalry during a business dialogue in Germany.”
South China Morning Post
Hedges 0 of 4 claims Outlet record 63/100
“The articles cover different aspects of Sino-European relations and separate discussions, not the same specific incident.”
Deutsche Welle
Hedges 3 of 48 claims Outlet record 95/100
“The articles discuss different interactions between China and European countries, with Article A focusing on a meeting in Düsseldorf and Article B reporting a call between Chinese and German foreign ministers.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
13
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
15%
2 of 13 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
66/100
The Straits Times's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
2
Economy/Business
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-22 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Straits Times · 4126 article(s) · 5 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 5 correction(s)

Who wrote this

The Straits Times
2665 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction
🔮 If not for the “economic funk” engulfing most voters, the National Party would have a much easier route back to office, said political commentator Grant Duncan.
🔮 Explainer-How Trump’s noncitizen voter lists could affect the midterms
🔮 “It’s been a hell of a year – analogue astronauts living in captivity of our own free will,” Ellen Ellis, the medical officer on the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, or CHAPEA, mission, said in remarks at Johnson Space Center after emerging with her three crewmates on Oct 31. The four entered the 1,700-square-foot (158sq m) 3D-printed habitat on Oct 19, 2025, and performed tasks such as growing crops in simulated Martian soil and interfacing with NASA officials with delays recreating those inherent in interplanetary communications.
🔮 Races in some areas are so tight, that turnout from the Indian community may change the outcomes, rally organisers say.
🔮 Initial complaints were expected to be filed on Nov 1.
🔮 Final results are due in coming days and not expected to change the outcome.
🔮 The head of a student group said a campaign of high school blockades would restart from Nov 2, adding the government’s proposals did not go far enough.
🔮 “Evidence is being reviewed and further action will be taken as appropriate.”
🔮 The head of Germany’s far-left Die Linke (The Left) party, Ines Schwerdtner, told the Rheinische Post daily that the demands made by those “demonstrating peacefully will not disappear because small angry groups followed up with acts of vandalism”.
🔮 Pope Leo says he hopes Oleshky truce could spur Ukraine-Russia peace efforts VATICAN CITY, Nov 1 - Pope Leo said on Sunday he hoped cooperation between Russia and Ukraine in implementing a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky would pave the way for broader peace efforts. Ukraine and Russia said on October 23 they had agreed to a ceasefire in Oleshky, brokered by US first lady Melania Trump with the additional involvement of Pope Leo, to allow aid deliveries and evacuations from the frontline town, which has been suffering acute food and medicine shortages. "
Also by The Straits Times
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 2665 articles by The Straits Times →

Topics

BEIJING China Chinese Germany Taiwan

Subjects

China GPE · 11× Germany GPE · 6× Chinese NORP · 5× Wang PERSON · 4× BEIJING GPE · 3× Taiwan GPE · 3× German NORP · 2× Iran GPE · 1× Johann Wadephul PERSON · 1× Wang Yi PERSON · 1×

Narrative

“Trade relations have to be based on fair rules and a real level playing field,” it said on social media platform X. The two ministers also discussed Iran, Ukraine and the issue of Chinese-claimed Taiwan, the Chinese statement added.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-22
2026-09-22 · The Straits Times
China and Europe should not fight trade wars, Chinese foreign minister says · assertive framing

Claims (13 extracted, 2 hedged)

China and Europe should not fight trade wars, Chinese foreign minister says AI generated asserted
minister → fight → wars
China and Europe should not fight trade wars because the pair are comprehensive strategic partners, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his German counterpart in a call, according to a statement from Beijing. uncertain
Yi → fight → Beijing
Germany has been one of the leading voices in the EU expressing concern about unbalanced trade with China due to industrial overcapacity and an undervalued currency. asserted
Germany → lead → overcapacity
Wang told German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul that strengthening mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation aligns with both sides’ interests and represents the “right choice”, China’s foreign ministry said late on Sept 21. asserted
ministry → tell → Sept
“China and the EU are comprehensive strategic partners; China and Europe should not fight trade wars,” a statement from the ministry cited Wang as saying. asserted
statement → fight → Wang
“China has consistently advocated that both sides move toward each other and find solutions to each other’s concerns through dialogue and consultation,” he added. asserted
he → advocate → dialogue
China hopes Germany maintains a rational and pragmatic approach and plays a positive role within the EU, promoting the upholding of free trade and rejecting protectionism, Wang said. asserted
Wang → hop → protectionism
Germany’s foreign ministry said the two ministers agreed that a stable global economy is in China’s, Germany’s and Europe’s interest. asserted
economy → say → China
“Trade relations have to be based on fair rules and a real level playing field,” it said on social media platform X. The two ministers also discussed Iran, Ukraine and the issue of Chinese-claimed Taiwan, the Chinese statement added. asserted
statement → have → Taiwan
China hopes Germany takes concrete action to maintain Chinese-German relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, creating necessary conditions for high-level exchanges, Wang said. asserted
Wang → hop → exchanges
Taiwan has increased its engagement with European countries, with Vice-President Hsiao Bi-khim making two trips to the continent in the last year, angering China. asserted
khim → increase → China
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung made a rare visit to Germany in June that he did not reveal until the following month. asserted
he → make → month
Taiwan’s democratically elected government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims. uncertain
government → elect → claims
💬Give feedback
🕘History 🎫Support