German Economy Minister Robert Habeck set off on a trip to East Asia on Wednesday, with stopovers planned in South Korea and China.
Ahead of his departure, Habeck said that relations between China and Germany had become "significantly more complex," referring to trade disputes such as the European Union's threat to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
The tariff issue "will certainly have a major impact on the trip, even though the [European] Commission is in the lead and is conducting the negotiations there," Habeck said.
He also anticipated Russia's ongoing war in the Ukraine to "resonate" as an issue throughout the trip. Habeck said he also plans to address human rights issues in China.
"Conversely, China is an important trading partner for Germany," the Green minister noted.
His first destination is South Korea, where Habeck plans to meet politicians and business figures. He is accompanied by a business delegation and members of Germany's parliament, the Bundestag.
South Korea is Germany's second-largest foreign trade market in Asia, with goods exports - mainly of cars and car parts - worth around €20 billion ($21.5 billion), according to Germany's Ministry of Economic Affairs, which Habeck leads.
South Korea, for its part, is an important producer of information and communication technology.
The visit to South Korea comes as tensions on the border with communist-ruled North Korea are rising once again.
Habeck is scheduled to travel on to China on Friday.
