The Next Stage of China-Germany Relations: Seeking Synergy between Cooperation and Competition

Source: T-House

Update: Feb 26th, 2026

During his visit to China, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz led a delegation to Unitree Robotics, a leading Chinese robotics company. It raises an important question: What signal does it send? As global manufacturing undergoes rapid transformation, how can China and Germany strike a new balance between cooperation and competition? John Ross, senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China, says Germany remains Europe's most advanced manufacturing economy, while China is the world's largest manufacturing power. The key, he notes, lies in building deeper synergy through innovation and industrial upgrading.