00:02The German flag joins the Chinese one above Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
00:07German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz is now on his first visit to China, hoping for a fresh start in ties.
00:13A lot is at stake. There's a growing trade imbalance, including with Chinese vehicles.
00:19There's China's potential influence on Russia, and one of Germany's biggest concerns, the war in Ukraine.
00:25And then there's a European desire to counterbalance its alliance with Washington, as US President Donald Trump pursues punishing tariffs.
00:35A potential reset doesn't mean Germany's abandoning its interests.
00:39Before leaving, Mertz stressed the need for fair trade with China, referring to overproduction and one-way restrictions that hinder
00:46German competition.
00:47And on Taiwan, a big red line for China, Mertz has given Berlin some wiggle room.
00:55With regard to Taiwan, the German government is sticking to its one-China policy.
01:00However, we also determined the exact form this takes ourselves.
01:06Still, the visit is off to a cordial start, with Chinese Premier Li Qiang welcoming Mertz.
01:13And a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also seems ready for a reset.
01:18He agrees with Mertz's view that the post-World War II world order is over, and the time for something
01:24new has come.
01:25In recent years, we have been working with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
01:32The world has been connected.
01:35The Chinese two countries have been working with China.
01:39We have been working with China.
01:42We have been working with China.
01:47China plans to import high-quality goods from Germany and order up to 120 aircraft from Europe's Airbus.
01:55This doesn't erase differences between Berlin and Beijing.
01:58Differences that may take more than Mertz's three-day visit to sort out.
02:02He's warned China against trying to take Taiwan by force, something it has never ruled out.
02:08China's strong advantage in trade is of special concern for Germany.
02:14The trade deficit between Germany and China currently stands at over 80 billion euros.
02:19It has quadrupled since 2020, i.e. within five years.
02:24This dynamic is not healthy, which is why we are addressing it and want to find ways to reduce this
02:29trade deficit to our detriment.
02:31But overall, China seems to be benefiting from the uncertainty of U.S. tariff policy under the Trump administration.
02:38Already, Britain's Keir Starmer and Canada's Mark Carney have paid visits to Beijing looking to re-engage.
02:44Now Germany, the world's third-largest economy, wants the same.
02:48Hank Xu and John Van Trieste for Taiwan Plus.
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