Meinl-Reisinger in Beijing: Austria Seeks Balance Between Economic Interests and Human Rights

On Wednesday evening, a ceremony was already held at the Austrian Embassy to mark the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vienna and Beijing. Relations were "friendly and strategic," Meinl-Reisinger emphasized on the occasion of the reception. Overall, Austria and China are celebrating 60 years of official economic relations this year. "Despite different paths and systems," relations were resilient, the minister added.

At the reception, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying delivered an address. Hua, who is regarded as a tennis enthusiast, was presented by Meinl-Reisinger with a tennis racket from the Austrian brand Head. China could be a "fitness center" for Austria, Hua was reported as saying. According to the Foreign Ministry, both sides held a long conversation about the significance of political dialogue.

At the center of the trip are the economic relations, as the Ö1-Morgenjournal reported. Austria exports, among other things, in sectors affected by Chinese overcapacity pressure. On Wednesday, Meinl-Reisinger visited a major trade fair in China at which Austria also maintains a stand. She is accompanied by a business delegation and visited Austrian companies on the ground.

Economy at the Center

The minister delivered a clear message in Beijing: "Put simply: China must become more open so that we can also remain open. This is particularly important for Austria." In doing so, she also responded to the conflict between Brussels and Beijing. The EU Commission plans stronger restrictions on imports from China in order to protect European industry. Brussels accuses Beijing of unfair trade practices, including the use of state subsidies that generate overcapacities in sectors such as electric vehicles and photovoltaics.

Meinl-Reisinger spoke out in favor of Europe developing "appropriate tools" to counter the imbalance vis-à-vis China — "not necessarily to use them, but to be able to deploy them quickly when needed." At the same time, countries such as Spain and Germany are putting the brakes on the EU Commission's plans to more strictly restrict Chinese imports.

Human Rights on the Agenda

In addition to economic issues, the foreign minister intends to address the human rights situation in China during her appointments in Beijing. "On the one hand, there is the human rights situation in China, which Meinl-Reisinger wanted to address 'as a matter of course,'" the Foreign Ministry said. The state of press freedom was also to be raised in the talks.

On Thursday, the summit meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi was finally on the agenda — the highlight of the trip. Most recently, ministers Martin Kocher and Norbert Totschnig had visited China. In 2019, President Alexander Van der Bellen and the then-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz had traveled to China. The foreign minister's trip is financially supported by the Foreign Ministry.

Geopolitical Context

In her conversations, Meinl-Reisinger also pointed to the geopolitical dimension of the trip: "The time difference from Vienna to Washington is six hours, but to Beijing as well." In doing so, she underscored the necessity for Europe to remain capable of acting vis-à-vis China. Relations between the EU and China are regarded as strained.

The foreign minister's mission follows a staged dramaturgy: first Shanghai as the economic and financial center, then Beijing as the political center. At both stops, Vienna sought to safeguard its own economic interests while not sparing sensitive points vis-à-vis Beijing.

Reporting from Beijing by Anna Sawerthal, dated June 24, 2026. The trip comes at a time when the EU Commission wants to tighten its protective measures against cheap Chinese imports, while individual member states such as Spain and Germany are putting on the brakes.