CGTN: Merz's China visit injects fresh momentum into China-Germany, China-Europe ties

Economic Cooperation - German automaker BMW plans to integrate AI technology from Chinese startup DeepSeek into its cars in China in 2025, following a strategic cooperation agreement with Alibaba on AI large language models [2] - Annual trade between China and Germany has consistently exceeded $200 billion, with bilateral trade reaching $292 billion in the previous year, marking a 2.1% increase year on year [6] - Bilateral investment stocks between China and Germany surpass $65 billion, representing nearly a quarter of China's overall engagement with the European Union [6] Political Significance - The visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to China emphasizes the importance of enhancing strategic communication and mutual trust between the two countries [4] - Both leaders, Xi Jinping and Merz, have committed to strengthening coordination and cooperation, which is seen as vital for regional and global stability [3][10] - The stable development of China-Germany relations is viewed as beneficial not only for bilateral interests but also for broader regional and global significance [8] Business Community Perspective - The German business community values the Chinese market and seeks to deepen cooperation for mutual benefit and common development [7] - Jiang Feng, a research professor, noted that the shared interests between China and Germany outweigh their differences, suggesting that the visit could enhance predictability and stability in a fragmented world [11]