Germany’s Merz Balances Between US and China: Will It Work? | Taiwan Talks EP786

Описание: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made his first visit to Beijing, followed by a trip to a Washington. In China, he sought to rebalance a trade relationship increasingly tilted in China’s favor. With Chinese imports far outpacing exports — and concerns mounting over industrial overcapacity, subsidies and the hollowing out of Europe’s manufacturing base — Merz faces growing pressure to address what many call a new “China shock,” even as he navigates Trump’s tumultuous foreign policy. In this episode, we examine Germany’s economic dilemma, German-China ties, and whether Taiwan’s security could become entangled in Europe’s evolving relationship with China.

*Recorded on February 26, 2026 at 3:15pm Taiwan Standard Time

Host: Wen-Ti Sung
Producer: Tina Hsu

Our guests:

Reinhard Peter Biedermann
Tamkang University Department of Global Politics and Economics Professor
Marc Cheng
Friends of Europe in Taiwan Managing Supervisor

Chapters:
00:00:00 – Germany Seeks an Economic Reset in China
00:01:22 – Merz Aims to Expand German-Chinese Trade
00:08:26 – How Can Berlin ‘De-Risk’ as Trade Deficit Rises?
00:18:22 – Germany Balances Economic, Security Issues




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