Merz Warns China Ready to Exploit German ‘Trade Vulnerabilities’

Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to make it a priority for Germany to reduce its dependence on China for raw materials, warning that the government in Beijing is ready to “exploit trade vulnerabilities.”

“Dependencies make us susceptible to blackmail,” Merz, who is planning his first trip to China as chancellor in coming weeks, said Monday at a conference of German diplomats in Berlin.