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

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.

With opposition leader Friedrich Merz likely to be Germany's next chancellor, experts weigh in on whether his tough China stance will hold Friedrich Merz, front runner to become Germany's next leader in February,

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.

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,

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.

Visitors spend their leisure time at a coffee shop in the Hongmei cultural and creative industry park, which is transformed from an old factory, in Tiexi District of Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, Nov. 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

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.

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,

Benz's sales trends, market performance, and strategic initiatives for FY 2024 earnings release and future growth prospects. Read my analysis.

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.