German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has postponed a visit to China after Beijing confirmed only one meeting, a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

"The Chinese side was ultimately able to confirm only the appointment with the Chinese foreign minister, and could not confirm any other additional appointments," the spokesperson said.

The visit, originally scheduled for last week, would have marked the first by a German minister from Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative-led government, which took office in May.

"There are a number of issues that we would like to discuss with the Chinese side, especially at this time," the spokesperson said. 

While she did not specify which side canceled the trip, the spokeswoman said Germany regretted the development.

Is Germany's Taiwan stance behind the cancellation?

Despite plans to depart on Sunday and hold meetings on Monday and Tuesday, China had confirmed only one meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Earlier on Friday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson criticized Germany's position on Taiwan.

According to the spokesman, calling for the status quo to be preserved without explicitly rejecting the island's independence amounts to supporting "Taiwan independence activities."

Wadephul has repeatedly voiced criticism of China's efforts to unilaterally alter the status quo in the region, describing Beijing's Indo-Pacific policy as increasingly aggressive. However, it remains unclear whether China's decision to confirm only one meeting was directly linked to Germany's stance.

China's new export controls on rare-earth tech have also disrupted EU industries, forcing some firms to halt production.

Tensions rose after the Netherlands moved to take over Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia, prompting Beijing to ban some exports and sparking fears of chip shortages in Europe.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse