MERICS Members Briefing: Merz in China

At the end of February, German chancellor Friedrich Merz travelled to China. That was his first trip to Beijing since taking office and the first visit of a German chancellor in two years.

On Thursday, February 26, from 9:00 to 9:30 CET, MERICS held an exclusive briefing on the results of Merz’ visit with MERICS Executive Director Mikko Huotari, joining us online from Beijing.

Expectations and stakes for the trip are high. In the German chancellery, there is an interest to create a “new normal” in relations with China. Merz has recently taken a rather tough line in questions related to China policy. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the chancellor stated that “China is systematically exploiting the dependencies of others and re-interpreting the international system in its own favor”. Still, there is also hope of being able to improve the economic relationship, in particular for the benefit of large industry players. China can be expected to have a few symbolic options for the German side, but will aim for narrative wins and opportunities to influence European decision-making on China-related policies.

This online briefing was exclusively for MERICS Members and partners.