Since the 1980’s, under German Chancellor’s Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schroeder, ties between Germany and China have grown increasingly close. A strategic partnership was formed with deepening trade relations — a trend continued by Angela Merkel since she took office in 2005. Last year bilateral trade between Germany and China continued to rise — with China as Germany’s fourth-largest export destination. In fact, almost a third of all European Union trade with Beijing is between Germany and China. Recent developments, however, have raised questions about whether that relationship has moved from one of partners to that of competitors.

CCTV’s Guy Henderson reports on how Germany’s economic and political ties with China evolved since Angela Merkel came into office. 

Tonight’s panel takes a look at the developments which raised questions about whether the Chinese-German relationship has moved from one of partners to that of competitors:

• Richard Weber, chairman of EUROCHAMBRES, the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry.  
• Klaus Larres, member of the Institute for Advanced Study and a Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
• Xin Hua, senior research fellow at the Shanghai Institute for European Studies, and a research professor at Shanghai International Studies University.