Economist Michael Hüther urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) to make clear statements before his talks with Chinese leaders. “He should emphasize that unfair trade practices do not last long and will provoke counter‑measures. We must make that very clear to the Chinese” Hüther said to the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (Wednesday edition). He added that Merz should not be tricked in Beijing – a stance he believes Merz will already maintain.
Merz will first meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday, followed by a one‑on‑one audience with President Xi Jinping. According to Hüther, the chancellor can conduct a confident, level‑playing dialogue in Beijing. Germany and China are the two major beneficiaries of the globalization era that began in the 1980s and 1990s, yet both face significant structural challenges. Hüther identified on the Chinese side several issues: the rapidly aging society, misallocation of capital, problems in the real‑estate sector, and an over‑production crisis, especially in electric vehicles.
At the same time, the economist refuted growing worries that China might make Europe technologically dependent. “Can a country have comparative advantages in all products, as economists call them? That’s essentially impossible” Hüther replied. The concern would only be real if research intensity in Germany were not advanced. “The key is that we learn to turn university discoveries into added value-through spin‑offs, for example. If we get better at this, we need not fear being overrun by China”. He added that Germany and Europe might even benefit from the threat to scientific freedom in the United States.
