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

The conservative leaders of the European People's Party (EPP), the largest force in the European Parliament, offered Donald Trump a "deal" this Saturday, so that Europe can be an economic partner to face the geopolitical challenge posed by China and a partner with which the US can collaborate.

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.

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.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump held their first phone talks in four years Friday. According to Trump, he spoke with Xi about TikTok, just hours before the Supreme upheld a law set to ban the social media platform in the United States in less than 48 hours.

Friedrich Merz, the chancellor candidate for the conservative Christian Democratic Union, acknowledged the need for a “major effort” to revive the economy as his party pledges to return German growth to 2 percent over the next five years through changes to the welfare and tax systems.

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

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.

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.

Beijing said on Friday it hoped "Germany will stop hyping up so-called espionage risks from China and not set up obstacles to the healthy and stable development of China-Germany relations".

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,

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,