‘China shock’ hangs over German leader Friedrich Merz’s first visit to Beijing

At a time when German industry is frequently slammed for being too slow and reluctant to change, there is one area in which industrialists have noticed rapid evolution. “The speed at which our position towards China has changed and at which our members are changing their minds on China – it’s China speed,” said Oliver Richtberg, head of the foreign trade department at Germany’s Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA). Richtberg’s group represents more than 3,000 of Germany’s “hidde...

By Finbarr Bermingham