China Daily Rebuts Germany's 'China Shock 2.0' Claim as €253 Billion Trade Underscores Opportunity
Updated
Updated · China Daily · Aug 4
China Daily Rebuts Germany's 'China Shock 2.0' Claim as €253 Billion Trade Underscores Opportunity
1 articles · Updated · China Daily · Aug 4
Summary
China Daily called German industry warnings of a "China Shock 2.0" scaremongering, rejecting claims that China threatens Germany's entire industrial system.
The editorial argued Germany's deeper problems are domestic—high energy costs, bureaucracy and slow commercialization—rather than Chinese competition, even as Berlin reportedly maps supply-chain vulnerabilities for possible trade leverage.
€253 billion in 2025 bilateral trade, up 2.7% from 2024, was cited as evidence of economic complementarity after China regained its place as Germany's largest trading partner.
Friedrich Merz's February trip to China with executives from dozens of major German companies, along with Volkswagen's China-led R&D shift toward software-defined vehicles, was presented as proof German business still sees opportunity.
The piece urged Berlin to drop accusations such as currency manipulation and overcapacity and instead pursue constructive China-EU trade talks, arguing knowledge flows between the two economies are now increasingly two-way.