Foreign media: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit China this week. He has warned that Germany's economic reliance on China makes it vulnerable to "extortion." Merz has long supported a close relationship between Germany and the United States, but he now faces challenges including pressure on Germany's export model, deteriorating transatlantic relations, and financial realities.
In 2025, China surpassed the United States to become Germany's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching 252 billion euros, of which Germany imported 171 billion euros from China and exported 82 billion euros to China.
Germany's economy is dependent on exports, and its foreign policy is also influenced by industrial policies. Actions such as the United States imposing tariffs on European goods and demanding increased NATO military spending have placed significant pressure on Germany. Although China is an important competitor for Germany's economy, the United States is currently the country that imposes more direct pressure on Germany, leaving Germany in a dilemma between the two countries.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857931894281224/
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