Politicians and experts push for reduced reliance on Beijing as Berlin ‘would not and could not evade’ economic fallout of Taiwan invasion

With opposition leader Friedrich Merz likely to be Germany's next chancellor, experts weigh in on whether his tough China stance will hold Friedrich Merz, front runner to become Germany's next leader in February,

Germany's top-end carmakers took a battering at home and in China in 2024, sales volume data showed, as wealthier consumers held back on purchases amid an uncertain economy and on slower than expected electric vehicle sales.

Chinese investors are considering buying German car factories, including Volkswagen's, to establish a stronger presence in Europe's auto industry. This move aims to avoid EU tariffs on imported electric vehicles and deepen China-Germany industrial ties,

In response to a media inquiry about German prosecutors indicting three people on suspicion of spying for China by obtaining information about military technology, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China consistently adheres to the principles of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs in the development of China-Germany relations.

Visitors spend their leisure time at a coffee shop in the Hongmei cultural and creative industry park, which is transformed from an old factory, in Tiexi District of Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, Nov. 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

India and China will continue to drive global economic growth in the next two years, while the United States could also benefit from a more neoliberal approach by the new administration. But Germany is lagging behind.

For a long time, Germany has valued China's exhibition market and continuously deepened cooperation. Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC), a joint venture between Lujiazui Exhibition Development Co Ltd Deutsche Messe AG, Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, and Messe München GmbH, is jointly operated by China and Germany.

China’s vast exports in 2024 exceeded its imports on a scale seldom seen anywhere except during or immediately after the two world wars.

BMW posted a drop in annual sales on Monday, joining its German peers in reporting numbers weighed down by economic weakness in China, the world's largest car market, and Germany. The German premium carmaker sold 2,

Politicians in both parties see the People's Republic as an economic and military threat. But the real threat is an isolated China.