Chinese Economy: General News, Updates and Discussions

Says someone from some country best known for talking and bragging advising doer China to take actions, :LOL:.
More words and less action. No wonder there is a Russian-Soviet proverb called "China's final warning"
 
More words and less action. No wonder there is a Russian-Soviet proverb called "China's final warning"
Yeah, also the 1969 Damansky (Zhenbao) Island battle on the Ussuri River, the 1962 Sino-India war and 2020 Galwan clash. Chinese are all talkers eh. Next time, just don't lose and cry so bad.
 

Germany’s Merz eyes business opportunities at Chinese tech hub in Hangzhou​

German Chancellor visits eastern city, home to AI firm DeepSeek and e-commerce giant Alibaba, with business leaders.


Listen to this article | 3 mins
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visits a Mercedes plant in Beijing

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visits a Mercedes plant in Beijing on his inaugural official visit to China, on February 26, 2026 [Pedro Pardo/AFP]

By Al Jazeera Staff and AFP
Published On 26 Feb 202626 Feb 2026
Click here to share on social media
Share
Save
Add Al Jazeera on Google
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has arrived in the tech hub of Hangzhou on the second day of his first official trip to China, flanked by a delegation of business leaders seeking contracts in the eastern city.

Merz travelled from Beijing to the city of some 12 million people on Thursday, where he was due to tour some leading companies, including Germany’s Siemens Energy and Unitree, a Chinese firm producing humanoid robots.

Recommended Stories​

list of 4 items
end of list
Hangzhou is a major hub in China’s tech sector, home to giants, including artificial intelligence company DeepSeek and e-commerce platform Alibaba.

Before leaving Beijing, Merz, who is being accompanied by a delegation, including executives of German car giants Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes, visited a Mercedes plant in the Chinese capital where he tested a self-driving vehicle.



image.jpg



Play Video
2:31
  • Now Playing
    02:31

    German Chancellor heads to China: Friedrich Merz visits with trade delegation​

  • Next
    01:33

    International doctors forced to leave Gaza over Israeli demands​

  • 09:32

    Afghanistan says it launches attacks against Pakistan​

  • 01:11

    Syrian government forces and Druze factions exchange prisoners in Suwayda​

  • 25:00

    Where the Silence Breaks | Ep 3 – Colombia​



‘Improved’ trade relationship sought​

Merz’s trip to China, which became Germany’s largest trading partner last year, seeks to deepen decades-old economic ties with the world’s second-largest economy in the wake of tariffs imposed by the United States last year.

But he has also sought to address “challenges” in the relationship, most notably tackling the massive imbalance which saw Germany’s trade deficit with China hit a record 89 billion euros ($105bn) last year, fuelling complaints from German businesses that Chinese competitors are flooding the market with cheaper goods.

In a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Wednesday, before he met Chinese President Xi Jinping, Merz said he wanted “to improve and make fair” the cooperation between the countries.

Advertisement

Following the talks with Xi and top Chinese leaders, Merz said China had agreed to buy up to 120 Airbus aircraft, and said other contracts were in the pipeline.

The two leaders stressed their commitment to developing closer strategic relations, with Xi telling Merz he was willing to take relations to “new levels”.



image.jpg



Play Video
2:31
German Chancellor heads to China: Friedrich Merz visits with trade delegation


Ukraine, Taiwan discussed​

The talks between Xi and Merz also touched on geopolitical issues, with the German leader saying any “reunification” with Taiwan, the self-ruled island China claims as its territory, must be done peacefully.

Merz also told reporters that he asked the Chinese government to use its influence with Russia to help end the war in Ukraine, amid frustrations among European leaders that Beijing was not doing enough to bring the war to an end.

“We know that signals from Beijing are taken very seriously in Moscow,” Merz said.

Following the meeting, the two countries released a joint statement saying they supported efforts to achieve a ceasefire and lasting peace in Ukraine, emphasising the importance of fair competition and mutual market access, and committing to resolving any concerns through dialogue, Chinese state media reported.

Merz is the latest in a string of Western leaders to visit Beijing in recent months, including the United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Mark Carney, amid the fallout from the Trump administration’s tariffs on long-established trade partners.

 
According to the usual practice of Chinese diplomacy, if Merz interferes in China's internal affairs on the Taiwan issue, Germany will not have the opportunity to visit China. China does not care about the United States, and even less about Germany.

According to the "Joint Press Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Federal Republic of Germany," Germany adheres to the One-China policy. The source of information is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

Many Western politicians, on one hand, hope that China will stop the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while on the other hand, interfere in China's internal affairs. We only hope for equal exchange and equal cooperation. Western countries all want to win, so who will lose? It seems that the logic of Western robbers is very different from Chinese culture.
 
According to the usual practice of Chinese diplomacy, if Merz interferes in China's internal affairs on the Taiwan issue, Germany will not have the opportunity to visit China. China does not care about the United States, and even less about Germany.

According to the "Joint Press Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Federal Republic of Germany," Germany adheres to the One-China policy. The source of information is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

Many Western politicians, on one hand, hope that China will stop the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while on the other hand, interfere in China's internal affairs. We only hope for equal exchange and equal cooperation. Western countries all want to win, so who will lose? It seems that the logic of Western robbers is very different from Chinese culture.
It seems that Germany might be altering its stance on Taiwan a bit, it seems from his comments to Xi Jinping, Merz might be favoring peaceful reunification between mainland China and Taiwan. All the EU leaders want China to solve Ukraine war problem for them by requesting Xi to order Putin to stop the war, lol, how unrealistic and lazy these people are. I am tired of hearing these EU hypocrites going to China to lecture Chinese about human rights all the time while what they really want are commercial concessions from China.
 
It seems that Germany might be altering its stance on Taiwan a bit, it seems from his comments to Xi Jinping, Merz might be favoring peaceful reunification between mainland China and Taiwan. All the EU leaders want China to solve Ukraine war problem for them by requesting Xi to order Putin to stop the war, lol, how unrealistic and lazy these people are. I am tired of hearing these EU hypocrites going to China to lecture Chinese about human rights all the time while what they really want are commercial concessions from China.
If there is equal discussion and cooperation, the West's demands might be met. If your opponent holds a contract in one hand and a weapon in the other while demanding negotiations, China can only respond in kind.

We are very dissatisfied with Western countries. Before every negotiation, they engage in provocative actions around China, attempting to put pressure on us. They see it as leverage, while we see it as a lack of willingness to cooperate. We have always taken the West's provocations seriously.

China's relationship with Australia has improved, and China has granted visa-free entry to Australians. We hope that people from all countries, races, and skin colors can engage in friendly exchanges, as communication is the best way to resolve conflicts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ety
I watched the news. It looks as if the Chinese don’t take the Germans more seriously.
Really sad
Angela Merkel bets the fate of Germany on the poker table. She loses.
National security on the US
Export market on China
Energy on Russia
On top, the most dumb decision on the planet: turn off nuclear energy, turn on green energy revolution.
 
I watched the news. It looks as if the Chinese don’t take the Germans more seriously.
Really sad
Angela Merkel bets the fate of Germany on the poker table. She loses.
National security on the US
Export market on China
Energy on Russia
On top, the most dumb decision on the planet: turn off nuclear energy, turn on green energy revolution.
China supported Germany reunification in the 1980s and 1990s, it's time for Germany to pay back reciprocity and start supporting Chinese reunification with Taiwan if Germans want Sino-German relation to go a long way. For the last decades, many German companies have made a lot of money exporting to and investing in China. Further, if Germans really want China to take Germany seriously, first stop always following whatever the bully US does to China, be truly independent in its foreign policies esp regarding China, second stop continuing collaboration with its war criminal buddy Japan to go against the rise of China, and third stop being hypocritical racist, using the pretext of lecturing Chinese about human rights to extract commercial interests from China.
 
Last edited:
China supported Germany reunification in the 1990s, it's time for Germany to pay back reciprocity and start supporting Chinese reunification with Taiwan if Germans want Sino-German relation to go a long way. For the last decades, many German companies have made a lot of money exporting to and investing in China. Further, if Germans really want China to take Germany seriously, first stop always following whatever the bully US does to China, be truly independent in its foreign policies esp regarding China, second stop continuing collaboration with its war criminal buddy Japan to go against the rise of China, and third stop being hypocritical racist, using the pretext of lecturing Chinese about human rights to extract commercial interests from China.
Japan is white, China not. Asking the Germans to not cozy to Japan is unrealistic. But who knows, maybe in the future pigs can fly.
 
Japan is white, China not. Asking the Germans to not cozy to Japan is unrealistic. But who knows, maybe in the future pigs can fly.
They are now tempting to form another pact alliance similar to what they did in WW II to go against China and Russia, that's no no. If they continue down that path, it is going to make an enemy of China and also Russia, and they can forget all about being friends.
 
They are now tempting to form another pact alliance similar to what they did in WW II to go against China and Russia, that's no no. If they continue down that path, it is going to make an enemy of China and also Russia, and they can forget all about being friends.
Not a new thing, just a natural progression

China and Japan are too different to be friends, same like between Europe and Russia, that will never change. You can check how many years Germany and Russia are at peace. That’s just few years. About China and Russia, I don’t think your friendship lasts forever. If I was you I would be cautious.
 
Not a new thing just a natural progression
China and Japan are too different to be friends, same like Europe and Russia, that will never change.
I mean China and Germany can't be friends at all if Germany continue its pact with Japan. We don't have any expectation of the Japanese, we are preparing for the next war with Japan, just hope the Germans are not stupid enough to get involved.
 
Japan is white, China not. Asking the Germans to not cozy to Japan is unrealistic. But who knows, maybe in the future pigs can fly.
Yeah, the Japs are whites **** lickers and Asians haters since the Meiji Restoration. Thats why many white supremacists "love" them.
 
Last edited:
I mean China and Germany can't be friends at all if Germany continue its pact with Japan. We don't have any expectation of the Japanese, we are preparing for the next war with Japan, just hope the Germans are not stupid enough to get involved.
Not if Taiwan. But possibility is high the Germans will get into the fight to support Japan if the US says so. 100 percent.
 
Not if Taiwan. But possibility is high the Germans will get into the fight to support Japan if the US says so. 100 percent.
Then, there is good chance that Germany will be flatten out by either Russia or China if thats what they want to fight another world war against China and Russia.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top