institute of europe
the institute of europe of the russian academy of sciences
Analytical paper IE RAS No 9, 2026 «Chancellor Merz’s Visit to the People’s Republic of China: Tactical Stabilization of Germany’s China Vector»
- 02 March 2026
IE RAS presents Analytical papers of IE RAS No 9, 2026 «Chancellor Merz’s Visit to the People’s Republic of China: Tactical Stabilization of Germany’s China Vector» (in Russian) by Vladislav Belov, Candidate of Sciences (Economics), Board Member, Head of the Department for Countries Studies, Head of the Center for German Studies, Institute of Europe (RAS).
On 25–26 February 2026, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the People’s Republic of China in the framework of Germany’s China Strategy adopted in July 2023. The visit did not represent a strategic shift in German policy but was aimed at stabilizing Germany’s China vector, safeguarding the industrial competitiveness of the German Standort, and maintaining a managed dialogue amid intensifying technological competition while preserving a normative approach in foreign policy (including the Ukrainian factor). The paper analyzes the evolution of Germany’s approach to the PRC (Merkel–Scholz–Merz), the objectives and outcomes of the negotiations, the European and transatlantic dimensions, the quantitative parameters of interdependence, as well as implications for Russia.
