Discussions on combating US trade protectionism are likely to top the agenda during German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s upcoming visit to China this Thursday, but Germany is not expected to take sides between the US and China in terms of security issues, experts told the Shanghai Observer.
Merkel is to embark on her 11th trip to China in a couple of days, her first official China visit since her re-election as German Chancellor.
Both global and bilateral trade are to be included in key discussions with Chinese leaders, according to Zheng Chunrong, head of German studies at Tongji University. While China and Germany are likely to come to an agreement over bilateral trade, the countries are also expected to, amid rising protectionism globally, jointly reiterate the necessity to solve trade conflicts through dialogue, the scholar said.
In addition to verbal declarations and policy statements, it is worth paying attention to any agreement on specific measures to deal with trade protectionism, said Cui Jianhong, head of European studies at the China Institute of International Studies.
The act of choosing Shenzhen, the frontier of China’s opening-up endeavors, as one of the cities Merkel is to visit also signifies the two countries’ determination to embrace globalization and respond resolutely against US President Donald Trump’s protectionist practices, according to Zheng.
Through her visit, Merkel is also likely to show that China-Germany ties are still the primary stakeholder in and a major engine for China-Europe relations, believes Cui. In terms of bilateral trade, the two countries will carry forward existing cooperation such as building a connection between their manufacturing initiatives, Germany’s “Industry 4.0” and China’s “Made in China 2025.”
Although the changes in global political landscapes have provided China and Germany a chance to strengthen their ties, it will still need a lot of efforts from both sides to turn this opportunity into actual policies and projects, Cui noted.
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