Germany’s partnership with China
Berlin (dpa) — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, ahead of his inaugural visit to China, underscored the importance of maintaining a stable partnership with Beijing despite major differences including over trade and Ukraine.
“It would be a mistake to seek to decouple from China,” Merz said on Tuesday before departing for the two-day trip from Berlin.
By severing ties with China “we would be shooting ourselves in the foot. We would be ruining our own economic opportunities,” while failing to make the world “a safer place,” the German leader said.
A fair playing field needed
Merz, who is expected to address long-standing concerns by German businesses over unfair market conditions and export restrictions on rare earths, said “both sides must reduce risks that arise from ever closer connectivity and one-sided dependencies.”
He underlined the importance of “fair and transparent” competition to unlock the full potential of the German-Chinese trade partnership.
Merz, who is scheduled to meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang following his arrival on Wednesday followed by dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping, also plans to raise Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Beijing is considered Russia’s most important backer since most Western nations cut ties with Moscow following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Merz called on China to join efforts to end the war, acknowledging the world’s second-largest economy’s key role in what he has repeatedly described as a changed world order “dominated by great power politics.”
“Today, major global political issues can no longer overcome without involving Beijing,” he said.
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