[People News] On February 25, ten months after taking office as German chancellor, Friedrich Merz finally set foot in Beijing and met with Xi Jinping at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. This time, Merz did not come bearing a simple olive branch. Facing Beijing’s strong efforts to court Germany, the former finance executive, well-versed in capital markets logic, responded with striking firmness and bluntness.

Why is Beijing working so hard to win over Germany this time? The reason is simple — the “Trump shadow.” With Donald Trump back in the White House, a new round of global tariff conflicts appears imminent. Beijing urgently hopes to anchor Germany and prevent the entire European Union from drifting toward American-style protectionism.

To demonstrate goodwill, Beijing deployed its classic “order diplomacy,” pledging to purchase 120 Airbus aircraft. Xi also put forward a grand narrative, expressing hope that China and Germany would become “reliable partners” and “innovation partners” supporting one another.

However, Merz displayed a style sharply different from many past Western leaders — direct and specific. Rather than circling around issues with diplomatic language, he openly challenged Beijing in front of senior CCP officials.

Merz laid out four firm demands:

  1. He called on China to significantly reduce systemic subsidies for electric vehicles and green energy industries, rejecting unfair competition.

  2. He pointedly stated that the renminbi exchange rate should not be artificially suppressed.

  3. He demanded stable supplies of critical raw materials such as rare earths.

  4. He directly addressed the issue of overcapacity leading to dumping in global markets.

Beyond trade and economics, Merz also stood firm on the most sensitive political issues. Regarding the war in Ukraine, he urged Beijing to use its influence to push Russia toward ending the war, rather than maintaining ambiguous political positioning.

On Taiwan, Merz did not whisper behind closed doors. He reportedly told Xi directly that Germany opposes any attempt to use force against Taiwan and emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. This signals a shift in Germany’s approach — from being purely economically driven to one guided by values and security concerns.

What gives Merz the confidence to take such a firm stance? He holds leverage. Before arriving in Beijing, he visited India, sending a clear message: Germany has alternative options in Asia.

This visit suggests that the old script of Sino-German relations has been turned over. While Beijing’s courtship was assertive, Merz demonstrated that an order of 120 aircraft cannot buy Germany’s silence on matters of principle.