https://www.scmp.com/rss/518380/feed Breaking news and analysis on China-Germany relations, covering trade, investment and the impact of wider issues such as EU-China relations, people-to-people exchange, human rights, security, and conflicts over alleged unfair competition. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signalled support for a European Union-China trade deal, as rising tensions with the United States complicate Europe’s response to a growing flood of low-cost Chinese imports. Merz told German lawmakers on Wednesday he could envisage an agreement with China in “the longer term” among other trade accords. “We now need strategic partnerships around the world in order to strengthen ourselves, especially our exports,” he said. The comments highlight an emerging split... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348115/merz-floats-eu-china-deal-trumps-new-beijing-date-european-lawmakers-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348115/merz-floats-eu-china-deal-trumps-new-beijing-date-european-lawmakers-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:01:16 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he can imagine a trade deal with China in the future, signalling a new softening stance towards Beijing in European capitals. “We have set quite a lot in motion when it comes to trade policy. I can also envisage further agreements, for example, in the longer term an agreement with the People’s Republic of China,” Merz said in the German parliament on Wednesday. Merz’s remarks underscore how surging trade and geopolitical tensions with Washington are... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348030/germanys-merz-floats-eu-china-trade-deal-capitals-soften-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348030/germanys-merz-floats-eu-china-trade-deal-capitals-soften-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:51 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Baden-Wurttemberg stands on the front line of Germany’s “China shock 2.0”. A hub for carmakers including Mercedes-Benz, the region has faced a wave of job cuts over the past year as Chinese firms rapidly gain global market share. In the German media, some have warned the area risks becoming “Germany’s Detroit”. Yet despite the economic strain – and polls showing the economy was the top issue for local voters – China barely featured in campaigns during the run-up to Baden-Wurttemberg’s state... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346105/why-china-threat-was-barely-mentioned-germanys-latest-state-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346105/why-china-threat-was-barely-mentioned-germanys-latest-state-election?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:30:07 +0000 Shen Wei Shen Wei When German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Beijing for his first visit to China last week, it came at a moment of heightened geopolitical attention. With US President Donald Trump expected to visit Beijing in late March or early April, European leaders are watching closely for possible shifts in transatlantic relations and trade policy. Against this anxious backdrop, Merz’s meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing offered something the global stage has been deeply... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345145/merzs-china-visit-shows-pragmatic-diplomacy-still-matters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345145/merzs-china-visit-shows-pragmatic-diplomacy-still-matters?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 21:30:07 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who made his first visit to China since taking office, have pledged to boost ties as they rebalance relations amid global uncertainties. The diplomatic language reflects some compelling pragmatic considerations. As the most important industrial and economic power in Europe, Germany’s stance will help shape China’s relationship with the European Union. Merz’s visit shows that despite trade tensions Germany realises it needs to work... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344750/merzs-beijing-trip-shows-germany-realises-it-needs-work-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344750/merzs-beijing-trip-shows-germany-realises-it-needs-work-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has concluded his first visit to China, hailing the “good cooperation” with Beijing as Berlin seeks to rebalance ties with its biggest trading partner amid the unpredictability of the Trump administration. Merz characterised the visit as “worthwhile”, noting that China would buy up to 120 additional aircraft from Airbus SE. The company operates two assembly lines in the northern port city of Tianjin that mainly produce A320 jets for Chinese carriers. In his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344777/merz-leaves-china-bargaining-chips-looming-trump-trade-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344777/merz-leaves-china-bargaining-chips-looming-trump-trade-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:25:08 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma German Chancellor Friedrich Merz voiced concerns about Chinese industrial overcapacity after meeting President Xi Jinping, as he seeks to rein in a trade deficit that has grown fourfold since 2020. “This dynamic is not healthy,” Merz told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday, according to Reuters. He also highlighted “risks” from the close connections between the two countries, including problems suffered by German manufacturers last year when China tightened export controls on basic computer chips... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344730/china-shock-hits-germany-merz-joins-beijing-pilgrimage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344730/china-shock-hits-germany-merz-joins-beijing-pilgrimage?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:07:31 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham German Chancellor Friedrich Merz travelled to Beijing with a delicate brief: vouch for a shrinking slice of big German firms still bullish on China, while defending the growing number being squeezed. On day one of his first official visit, Merz trod the line carefully – voicing openness to resetting beleaguered bilateral ties, even while gently nudging his hosts on bugbears including subsidies, currency devaluation and Russia. A day of meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, President Xi Jinping... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344661/merzs-china-tightrope-warm-words-hard-questions-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344661/merzs-china-tightrope-warm-words-hard-questions-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 01:00:15 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China and Germany have pledged to elevate ties as they seek to rebalance relations amid global uncertainties. Chinese President Xi Jinping told visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Beijing on Wednesday that he was “willing to work together with the chancellor to continuously advance the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Germany to new levels”. Merz echoed Xi’s call to strengthen bilateral relations, according to state broadcaster CCTV. “The more turbulent and complex... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344618/meeting-merz-xi-urges-efforts-advance-china-germany-ties-new-levels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344618/meeting-merz-xi-urges-efforts-advance-china-germany-ties-new-levels?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:34:57 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham At a time when German industry is frequently slammed for being too slow and reluctant to change, there is one area in which industrialists have noticed rapid evolution. “The speed at which our position towards China has changed and at which our members are changing their minds on China – it’s China speed,” said Oliver Richtberg, head of the foreign trade department at Germany’s Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA). Richtberg’s group represents more than 3,000 of Germany’s “hidden... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344366/china-shock-hangs-over-german-leader-friedrich-merzs-first-visit-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344366/china-shock-hangs-over-german-leader-friedrich-merzs-first-visit-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:00:12 +0000 Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who heads to Beijing this week, had warned last year in relation to China that economic dependencies make Germany “susceptible to blackmail”. As chancellor, he confronts an export model under strain, a deteriorating transatlantic environment and the fiscal reality that moral posturing does not sustain an industrial economy. Merz has never been shy about stating where he stands. As chairman of the non-profit Atlantik-Brucke from 2009 to 2019, he boosted the view... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344239/germanys-outreach-china-signals-reckoning-rather-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344239/germanys-outreach-china-signals-reckoning-rather-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:07:33 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan,Agence France-Presse Cao Jiaxuan,Agence France-Presse German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit China from Wednesday, shortly after the Lunar New Year holiday, according to the chancellor’s spokesman. “This date was proposed by the Chinese side,” spokesman Sebastian Hille said on Friday. “We consider this offer to come right at the beginning of the year to be a good omen.” Merz will leave Berlin on Tuesday for his first official China visit since he took office in May. He is expected to be welcomed in Beijing on Wednesday by Premier Li Qiang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344174/germanys-merz-latest-european-leader-visit-china-amid-tensions-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344174/germanys-merz-latest-european-leader-visit-china-amid-tensions-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:25:32 +0000 Claudia Hinterseer Claudia Hinterseer As German Chancellor Friedrich Merz prepares for his high-stakes visit to Beijing from February 24 to February 27, he faces a new reality – China has become less reliant on Germany. While China is once again Germany’s top trading partner, the relationship has become distorted by a record €89 billion (US$105.6 billion) trade deficit. China’s economic slowdown has cut demand for German exports while the German appetite for Chinese goods grows. SCMP Plus subscribers enjoy early access to selected... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344105/china-germany-ties-ahead-merzs-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344105/china-germany-ties-ahead-merzs-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 07:30:34 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings German companies are turning towards investments in China as they lose confidence in the United States over President Donald Trump’s policies, but they still see obstacles in the world’s second-largest economy, according to an executive at a German chamber of commerce. That landscape would form the backdrop of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s planned visit to China later this month, said Oliver Oehms, executive director and board member of the German Chamber of Commerce in North China. Merz... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342667/stung-trumps-policies-german-multinationals-cautiously-pivot-towards-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342667/stung-trumps-policies-german-multinationals-cautiously-pivot-towards-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:22:18 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell In Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, Mike Campbell described how he went bankrupt: “Gradually, and then suddenly.” Over the past weeks, there is a feeling that US President Donald Trump and his administration have reached the “suddenly” bit. First, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney captivated a World Economic Forum audience when he described the “rupture” in the rules-based order, a “bargain” that “no longer works”: leaving middle countries like Canada with no choice but to dilute their... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341726/gradually-then-suddenly-world-waking-us-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341726/gradually-then-suddenly-world-waking-us-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:30:14 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang Donald Trump’s renewed threats to take over Greenland could pose a direct challenge to China’s ambitions in the Arctic, but some observers say it may also open the door to increased cooperation with Europe. Following the abduction of Venezuela’s former leader Nicolas Maduro, the White House swiftly turned its attention towards the self-governing Danish territory, adding that “of course, utilising the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal”. On Sunday, the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339078/will-donald-trumps-threats-greenland-help-bring-china-and-europe-closer-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339078/will-donald-trumps-threats-greenland-help-bring-china-and-europe-closer-together?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:00:15 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial As two of the world’s economic powerhouses, Germany and China have much to offer each other. Alas, relations have significantly worsened since the end of the Angela Merkel era. As a key part of the European Union and the US-led Western alliance system, Berlin has taken a hardline stance towards Beijing in recent years. It has been a difficult relationship for China to manage as Germany swings from political hostility to economic pragmatism. The latest visit by German Foreign Minister Johann... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3335845/time-germany-see-reason-and-improve-relations-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3335845/time-germany-see-reason-and-improve-relations-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has warned that Europe must be “extremely cautious” about slapping tariffs on China, as it could prompt Beijing to take countermeasures that could turn into a “spiral”. The remarks came after French President Emmanuel Macron said he had told Beijing during his visit to China last week that Europe would be forced to take “strong measures” against Chinese goods if the trade imbalance was not addressed. “I told them that if they do not react, we Europeans... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335679/hitting-china-tariffs-should-be-last-resort-german-foreign-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335679/hitting-china-tariffs-should-be-last-resort-german-foreign-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 02:43:59 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Beijing pressed German carmakers to help resolve disputes over the European Union’s anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and the Nexperia semiconductor saga, in separate video meetings on Monday. Vice-Minister of Commerce Ling Ji made the appeal to German industry leaders, seeking to leverage their influence in Brussels. Ling spoke with Hildegard Mueller, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), and Ola Kallenius, president of the European Automobile... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335644/china-leans-german-carmakers-help-break-brussels-tariff-deadlock-fix-nexperia-mess?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335644/china-leans-german-carmakers-help-break-brussels-tariff-deadlock-fix-nexperia-mess?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:58:33 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China’s deliveries of rare earths, semiconductors and other commodities to Germany dominated the talks between German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Monday. “In all of these areas, there has been uncertainty, and that needs to be eliminated,” Wadephul said as he began a trip to China aimed at addressing Berlin’s trade and geopolitical concerns. According to Reuters, Beijing was far from being persuaded to grant general export licences for rare earth... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335643/german-foreign-minister-calls-end-uncertainty-chinese-rare-earths-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335643/german-foreign-minister-calls-end-uncertainty-chinese-rare-earths-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:50:36 +0000 Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa Few leaders travel to China seeking gravitas and return with only a couple of pandas, but French President Emmanuel Macron managed to do just that. After surrendering sovereignty to US President Donald Trump, Macron visited China seeking a validation that his citizens no longer grant. His authority at home has been eroded through cabinet implosions, collapsing support, stalled budgets and demands for his resignation. China could see that before he even stepped off the plane. Beijing handled a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335556/macrons-trip-exposes-europes-fractured-china-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335556/macrons-trip-exposes-europes-fractured-china-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Emmanuel Macron has warned Beijing that Europe would be forced to retaliate with “strong measures” against Chinese goods – including punitive tariffs modelled after US policy – if a trade imbalance between the two sides remains unaddressed well into 2026. Back in Paris, fresh from a diplomatic visit to China that ended on Friday, the French president told business newspaper Les Echos that China was “effectively killing their own customers” by running unsustainable surpluses while curbing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335620/macrons-trade-ultimatum-china-goes-private-public-fix-surplus-or-face-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335620/macrons-trade-ultimatum-china-goes-private-public-fix-surplus-or-face-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:00:33 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s trip to China this week signals a mutual desire to resume high-level dialogue amid mounting economic and geopolitical tensions, according to analysts. But they cautioned that the visit, which could lay the groundwork for a trip by Chancellor Friedrich Merz early next year, should be viewed as pragmatic management of a complex “systemic rivalry”, rather than a major reset in Beijing’s relations with Berlin or Brussels. For Germany, securing access to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335502/why-top-german-diplomats-china-trip-aims-manage-rivalry-wont-reset-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335502/why-top-german-diplomats-china-trip-aims-manage-rivalry-wont-reset-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:00:35 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham It is not unusual for Berlin to be cloaked in a blanket of grey on the brink of winter. What hangs over the city this year, however, feels heavier. This new shade of gloom cuts through conversations about everything. Germany’s coalition government is just six months old, but already some are wondering how long it can last. The economy is no larger now than it was five years ago and is being pummelled by a heady brew of structural problems and external threats. The German foreign minister warned... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335453/great-slowdown-germany-standstill-china-shock-hits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335453/great-slowdown-germany-standstill-china-shock-hits?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu German companies are accelerating efforts to partner with Chinese rivals, conceding in fresh survey results that the local competitors appear poised to seize the lead in global innovation. While business sentiment among surveyed German firms in China has seen a slight uptick, optimism has been tempered by fierce price competition and a nationalist “Buy China” push, according to findings from the German Chamber of Commerce’s 2025/26 Business Confidence Survey. About 56 per cent of surveyed firms... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3334907/buy-china-trend-price-wars-push-german-industry-localise-seeing-rivals-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3334907/buy-china-trend-price-wars-push-german-industry-localise-seeing-rivals-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 09:00:24 +0000 Thomas O. Falk Thomas O. Falk There are moments in statecraft when a government reveals its strategic character. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s new administration has shown one such moment – and it was encouraging. On Ukraine, Berlin has moved with a decisiveness long thought beyond its political metabolism. Weapons are flowing. Defence production is expanding. Germany is anchoring Nato’s eastern flank and, for the first time in decades, speaking like a country prepared to bear the burdens of European security. On China,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333715/stumbling-germany-needs-clear-strategy-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333715/stumbling-germany-needs-clear-strategy-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has revealed he is now in the “last stages of coordinating” a trip to China, after his planned visit to Beijing last month was hastily cancelled. Speaking at the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum on Tuesday, Wadephul said he was “confident” that the trip would be rescheduled soon. It is thought that the conservative minister would be in the Chinese capital in the second week of December. Wadephul postponed his planned trip in October after failing to arrange... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334118/german-foreign-minister-last-stages-coordinating-trip-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334118/german-foreign-minister-last-stages-coordinating-trip-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:00:49 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged Germany to stand by a rational and pragmatic China policy and focus on common interests as he met on Sunday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “We hope the German side will adhere to a rational and pragmatic China policy, rule out interference and pressure, focus on shared interests and consolidate the foundation for cooperation,” Li told Merz on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting with the chancellor, who is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333905/premier-li-qiang-urges-germany-be-rational-and-pragmatic-china-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333905/premier-li-qiang-urges-germany-be-rational-and-pragmatic-china-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 06:04:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that Europe does not want to be a “vassal” that is dependent on US and Chinese tech companies, calling for a “European preference” in the sector. “Europe doesn’t want to be the client of the big entrepreneurs or the big solutions being provided either from the US or from China, we clearly want to design our own solutions,” Macron told a Berlin summit, adding that this stance represented “a refusal of being a vassal”. Macron was speaking at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333316/europe-refuses-be-tech-vassal-china-and-us-frances-macron-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333316/europe-refuses-be-tech-vassal-china-and-us-frances-macron-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 17:40:47 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China will take European concerns about rare earth export controls “seriously”, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said after becoming the first member of his country’s coalition government to visit the Asian nation. “I made it clear that we need reliability and stability for German and European companies, and that the unjustified application of export controls poses a serious threat to the global economy,” Klingbeil told reporters after meeting Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng in Beijing.... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333254/germany-courts-china-rare-earths-stoke-economic-woes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333254/germany-courts-china-rare-earths-stoke-economic-woes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:21:56 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil tried to find common ground after a financial dialogue in Beijing on Monday, with both officials saying the two countries should strengthen ties and support open, rules-based global trade. Klingbeil’s trip marked the first visit to China by a German minister since the new coalition government took office earlier this year and came at a delicate time for Sino-German relations, with Berlin gripped by supply chain anxieties... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333259/china-and-germany-strive-reset-trade-ties-beijing-we-need-stability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333259/china-and-germany-strive-reset-trade-ties-beijing-we-need-stability?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:00:39 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil met Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng at the fourth China-Germany high-level financial dialogue in Beijing. Following the dialogue, both sides reached a series of consensuses. The official readout was released by the German Ministry of Finance. Joint Statement Following the 4th China-Germany High-level Financail Dialogue by scmp https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333240/joint-statement-4th-china-germany-high-level-financial-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333240/joint-statement-4th-china-germany-high-level-financial-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 07:26:26 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Chinese suppliers such as Huawei Technologies will be excluded from the country’s future telecommunication networks on security grounds as he pushes for more digital sovereignty. “We have decided within the government that everywhere it’s possible we’ll replace components, for example in the 5G network, with components we have produced ourselves,” Merz told a business conference in Berlin on Thursday. “And we won’t allow any components from China in the 6G... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3332708/germany-ban-chinas-huawei-future-6g-network?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3332708/germany-ban-chinas-huawei-future-6g-network?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 18:57:18 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Germany needs to think long term and come up with a strategic vision to revive mutual trust with China following a series of diplomatic “bumps” this year, according to international relations observers. The relationship faced a setback last month when German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul postponed his first trip to China. A German foreign ministry official said the visit was called off after Beijing confirmed only one of his requested meetings. Cui Hongjian, director of the European studies... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331885/where-now-germanys-ties-china-start-long-term-vision-academic-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331885/where-now-germanys-ties-china-start-long-term-vision-academic-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:00:25 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has accused Germany of making “groundless accusations” and called on Berlin to support reunification with Taiwan in a phone call with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul. The call, at the request of Wadephul, came a week after he postponed his first trip to China, saying that Beijing had confirmed only one of his requested meetings. “China and Germany have different histories, cultures and social systems, so differences are unavoidable,” Wang said in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331437/germany-must-resist-megaphone-diplomacy-wang-tells-wadephul-after-trip-china-postponed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331437/germany-must-resist-megaphone-diplomacy-wang-tells-wadephul-after-trip-china-postponed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 05:38:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Monday called for “fair” trade with China in chips and rare earth minerals, amid heightened tensions between China and the European Union. Wadephul, who last week was forced to cancel a planned visit to China, said he planned to speak to Chinese representatives by phone “as soon as possible and reschedule the trip”. “It’s only postponed, not cancelled,” Wadephul said of the visit. Germany called off the trip after the Chinese side were unable to confirm... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330532/german-foreign-minister-urges-fair-rare-earth-chip-trade-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330532/german-foreign-minister-urges-fair-rare-earth-chip-trade-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:10:20 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Fifty years ago, Christian Social Union in Bavaria chairman Franz Josef Strauss visited Beijing, becoming the first West German politician to meet Chinese leader Mao Zedong. According to German media reports, the late conservative politician sent a postcard to Helmut Schmidt, Germany’s chancellor at the time and head of the rival Social Democratic Party, saying “Beijing is worth a trip.” Schmidt became the first German leader to visit China later that year. A half-century later, the roles have... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325351/germanys-bavaria-open-chinese-investment-despite-eu-tensions-state-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325351/germanys-bavaria-open-chinese-investment-despite-eu-tensions-state-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 06:00:24 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang Geopolitical tremors from Washington’s trade wars against its closest allies – the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Canada and Australia – might have convinced Beijing of an impending realignment. China has seized the moment with a charm offensive, urging pragmatic cooperation amid tariff spats. Beijing rightly condemns Washington for shredding the very World Trade Organization rules and post-war liberal order it crafted, calling for collective action against US coercion. Yet despite the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322705/why-us-allies-are-resisting-chinas-charm-offensive-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322705/why-us-allies-are-resisting-chinas-charm-offensive-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Two suspected spies for China, including a former assistant to far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) lawmaker Maximilian Krah, went on trial in the eastern city of Dresden on Tuesday. The German national, who is only named as Jian G, in line with Germany’s strict privacy laws, allegedly worked for Chinese intelligence from 2002, including while working in the office of then-MEP Krah between 2019 and 2024. He is accused of using that position to pass on more than 500 documents, some deemed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320860/china-espionage-trial-germany-exposes-afd-links-and-arms-secrets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320860/china-espionage-trial-germany-exposes-afd-links-and-arms-secrets?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:54:03 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China’s defence ministry has denied using lasers to target a German plane over the Red Sea as the two countries continue to trade barbs over the alleged incident. The German foreign ministry said on Tuesday that a People’s Liberation Army warship had shone a laser at a German surveillance plane “without reason or prior contact”, and Berlin had summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest. But on Thursday the defence ministry told the South China Morning Post the accusation “was completely... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3317607/beijing-denies-german-accusation-pla-laser-targeted-aircraft-patrolling-red-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3317607/beijing-denies-german-accusation-pla-laser-targeted-aircraft-patrolling-red-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 20:32:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Berlin on Tuesday said the Chinese military had targeted a laser at a German aircraft taking part in an EU-led mission to protect marine traffic in the Red Sea. “Endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable,” the foreign ministry said on social media. The German aircraft was targeted “without reason or prior contact … during a routine operation” over the Red Sea while taking part in the European Union’s Aspides mission, a spokesman for the German defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3317463/berlin-says-chinese-ship-targeted-german-plane-laser-over-red-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3317463/berlin-says-chinese-ship-targeted-german-plane-laser-over-red-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 22:27:13 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Germany’s iconic machine makers used to be among the loudest cheerleaders for ever-closer economic ties between China and Europe. Now, as exports dwindle and facing “increasingly strong [Chinese] competitors” beefed up by “unfair state subsidies”, the industry is demanding that Brussels put in place trade barriers to protect it. A new position paper published on Thursday by the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), representing medium-sized manufacturers that help constitute... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3314268/cheerleaders-critics-german-machinery-makers-call-eu-action-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3314268/cheerleaders-critics-german-machinery-makers-call-eu-action-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jun 2025 06:00:13 +0000 Thomas O. Falk Thomas O. Falk In an era when diplomacy often postures as virtue signalling and foreign policy has grown allergic to nuance, Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has executed a move of startling clarity and daring. He called President Xi Jinping, not to lecture him on human rights or wave the banner of Western liberalism but to propose a deal: help end the war in Ukraine. Merz’s appeal, couched in the anodyne language of international cooperation, was anything but soft. He told Xi that Russia’s war of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3312480/why-germanys-leader-called-chinas-over-ukraine-and-why-it-matters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3312480/why-germanys-leader-called-chinas-over-ukraine-and-why-it-matters?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Jun 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim President Xi Jinping has called for greater cooperation with Germany, saying China is willing to open a “new chapter” of partnership. In a call with Germany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, on Friday, Xi said healthy and stable ties between the two countries were in their interests. “China is willing to open a new chapter of all-round strategic partnership with Germany, lead China-Europe relations to new developments, and make new contributions to the stable growth of the global economy,” he... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311605/xi-urges-new-chapter-china-germany-ties-call-chancellor-amid-us-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311605/xi-urges-new-chapter-china-germany-ties-call-chancellor-amid-us-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 May 2025 11:46:10 +0000 dpa dpa Three people were detained in Germany on Wednesday in police raids targeting a suspected people-smuggling network believed to have facilitated the illegal entry of Chinese nationals into the country. Some 750 officers searched 38 properties in nine of Germany’s 16 federal states, including Berlin, prosecutors and police said. The three suspects were detained in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, where the group was said to be based, according to police. One of the three has since been... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3311283/germany-busts-group-suspected-procuring-visas-wealthy-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3311283/germany-busts-group-suspected-procuring-visas-wealthy-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 17:23:46 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Germany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said on Wednesday that his country’s ties with China are being “shaped by systemic rivalry and power politics”, in a first major speech to the Bundestag that suggested a tougher approach that would press Beijing to be more accountable on geopolitical issues. Merz, a conservative who took up the role as chancellor last week, flagged China’s relations with Russia as an area of “great concern” and said he would pursue “strategic de-risking” with the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3310378/germanys-new-chancellor-pursue-strategic-de-risking-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3310378/germanys-new-chancellor-pursue-strategic-de-risking-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 May 2025 20:11:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Three Germans went on trial on Tuesday, accused of spying for China by supplying it with information on hi-tech equipment with military use. The defendants are a married couple identified only as Herwig F. and Ina F., aged 73 and 69, and another man, 60-year-old Thomas R., on trial in the western city of Düsseldorf. The three were arrested in April of last year. The couple were provisionally released in October, while Thomas R. remains in custody. Prosecutors say they collected information on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3310224/3-germans-go-trial-accused-spying-china-exporting-military-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3310224/3-germans-go-trial-accused-spying-china-exporting-military-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 May 2025 16:26:04 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Chinese President Xi Jinping voiced support for closer ties with Germany, and the wider European Union, as he congratulated Friedrich Merz on becoming the European nation’s 10th post-World War II chancellor. “I am ready to work with the chancellor to … consolidate political mutual trust, deepen exchanges and cooperation, and open a new chapter in the all-round strategic partnership between China and Germany, so as to guide China-EU cooperation in the right direction,” Xi said, according to state... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3309565/xi-seeks-deeper-eu-ties-congratulating-germanys-merz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3309565/xi-seeks-deeper-eu-ties-congratulating-germanys-merz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 May 2025 09:00:42 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi The tit-for-tat tariff war between the United States and China has induced a notable decline in the economic outlook perceived by German firms in China, but their investment plans in the country remain largely unimpeded, according to a business advocacy group. A recent business survey by the German Chamber of Commerce in China indicates that its members have claimed to be most affected by Washington’s tariffs on goods from the country, followed by Beijing’s retaliatory tariffs on American... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3309413/german-firms-china-hit-hard-us-tariffs-china-china-paying-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3309413/german-firms-china-hit-hard-us-tariffs-china-china-paying-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2025 09:00:20 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Friedrich Merz on Tuesday after he was elected chancellor by the German parliament, and called for deeper cooperation and globalisation. In the congratulatory message, Xi told Merz that China and Germany – the world’s second- and third-largest economies – should deepen cooperation and jointly promote economic globalisation. Describing the world as marked by upheaval, surging unilateralism and protectionism, Xi said he held the development of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309383/xi-jinping-welcomes-new-chapter-china-germany-ties-congratulating-friedrich-merz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309383/xi-jinping-welcomes-new-chapter-china-germany-ties-congratulating-friedrich-merz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2025 08:00:08 +0000