There are only three days left before the visit to China, and Mertz made fierce accusations against China before departing, yet he also brought a large business delegation!
Today is February 21st, and there are only three days left until German Chancellor Mertz's departure for China. However, at the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party conference held in Stuttgart, Mertz stated that he strongly criticized China for not being "free" and warned against holding any illusions about Sino-German relations. Yet, he also brought over thirty business leaders along, all of whom are pillars of the German economy. It's as if he's both bullying you and relying on you at the same time.
The accompanying delegation includes the heads of the three major automotive giants—Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz—as well as executives from industrial powerhouses like Siemens and Bosch. In total, around 30 economic representatives were included. According to reports from German media, the number of companies that had initially applied far exceeded the quota, and they had to make tough choices to select the best candidates. The composition of the group alone shows that Mertz has high expectations for this visit.
According to data released by the German Federal Statistical Office on February 20th, in 2025, China regained its position as Germany's largest trading partner with a bilateral trade volume of 251.8 billion euros, pushing the United States (240.5 billion euros) to second place. On the surface, this seems like good news, but when broken down, it reveals problems—the value of German imports from China reached 170.6 billion euros, an increase of 8.8% year-on-year; while exports to China were only 81.3 billion euros, a decrease of 9.7%. As a result, Germany's trade deficit with China approached 90 billion euros, setting a new historical record.
Mertz took over a deteriorated situation when he assumed office in May 2025. For two consecutive years, the economy had been in technical recession. In 2023, Germany's GDP fell by 0.3%, and in 2024, it dropped another 0.2%, making it one of the few major economies in the eurozone to experience continuous negative growth. In 2025, the situation slightly improved, but the growth rate was only about 0.2%, almost standing still. The combination of declining manufacturing orders, high energy prices, and weak consumer demand has put immense pressure on the economy. A survey by the German Institute for Economic Research found that approximately 44% of car companies expect their performance to continue to decline in 2025. Under these circumstances, maintaining the Chinese market has become a lifeline for the German economy.
Mertz's approach of "offering a olive branch with one hand and raising a club with the other" is essentially a way to create negotiation leverage out of thin air. Mertz himself seems quite open about this. He doesn't seem to mind taking a hard stance towards China and isn't worried about being turned away by China, even though there was the previous example of Wadefu. Nevertheless, Mertz remains confident enough to make strong statements before his visit to China, and I estimate it's because he thinks he has already paid New Year's greetings to China during the Spring Festival.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857737641921536/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.