Media Briefing on German chancellor Merz' visit to Beijing

From February 24 to 27, German chancellor Friedrich Merz traveled to China, his first trip to Beijing since taking office and the first visit of a German chancellor in two years. On Friday, February 20, MERICS held a Media Briefing on the topic.

Recently, chancellor Merz spoke at the Munich security conference and emphasized that “The international order based on rights and rules […] does not exist anymore.” In contrast to his Canadian colleague Mark Carney, he made clear that a pivot towards China is not without problems, stating that “China is systematically exploiting the dependencies of others and re-interpreting the international system in its own favour.” 

MERICS Executive Director Mikko Huotari and Senior Analyst Eva Seiwert shared their takes on the current state of Sino-German relations, the international context in which the meeting took place and the topics both sides were likely to discuss. 

The event was held in English.