Arne Delfs of Bloomberg reports that German Chancellor Merz has arrived in Beijing with a large delegation of business leaders in an effort to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties with, even as concerns persist over trade imbalances and competition in key sectors.
Merz, on his first official visit to China, met with top Chinese leaders and emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation while addressing challenges around fair trade, supply chains, and access to critical minerals.
Both sides expressed a desire to improve relations, signaling opportunities for mutual economic growth despite ongoing strategic competition and geopolitical tensions. Delfs writes:
Premier Li Qiang and Friedrich Merz both indicated they’d like relations between their nations to improve, as the German chancellor kicks off his first official visit to China — one that will be complicated by worries about trade and supplies of key minerals. […]
Speaking alongside Merz, Li said “China and Germany, as two major economies and influential major countries, should firm up our confidence in cooperation,” adding that Beijing “is willing to continue working with Germany to strengthen dialog and communication and enhance political mutual trust.” […]
Earlier this month at the Munich Security Conference, Merz said “China systematically exploits the dependencies of others,” adding that “raw materials, technologies and supply chains become instruments of power in the zero-sum game of the great.” […]
In a separate note on Monday, the government in Berlin said the issue of “competition” will be the focus of Merz’s trip and that Germany remains committed to efforts to secure a “level playing field” in international commerce.
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