China, Germany trade ministers hold video call on economic ties

The absence of disclosed detail is itself the signal: a readout this thin usually means the exchange was procedural or that positions remain far enough apart that neither side wants its language on the record. What matters is the venue — bilateral channels between Beijing and Berlin running alongside the EU's own trade track, which keeps open the question of whether national capitals or Brussels set the tempo on Europe's China policy. Whether these contacts produce anything concrete, or remain confined to exchanging views, is worth watching.