"But we should be under no illusions, he added, pointing out that China, as a rival to the United States, now claims the right to define a new multilateral order according to its own rules."
"Merz stressed the importance of deepening relations, but added we have very specific concerns regarding our cooperation, which we want to improve and make fair."
"Berlin and Beijing want to build on their decades-old economic ties at a time when US President Donald Trump has sparked global chaos with his tariffs blitz and other erratic foreign policy moves."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in China for his first official visit, leading a large business delegation to strengthen economic relations with Germany's largest trade partner. The visit occurs amid global trade tensions from US tariffs and reflects Western leaders' efforts to engage Beijing independently of Trump's policies. Merz aims to deepen bilateral cooperation on climate change and food security while addressing German and European interests, including pressuring China to influence Russia to end the Ukraine war. Germany recognizes China as both a crucial economic partner and a systemic rival to Western interests, seeking fairer cooperation terms. Merz emphasized the need for economic relations worldwide while cautioning against illusions about China's ambitions to establish a new multilateral order according to its own rules.
#germany-china-relations #trade-partnerships #geopolitical-rivalry #ukraine-diplomacy #western-engagement-with-beijing
Read at The Local Germany
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]