Angela Merkel: a good example for Western leaders dealing with China
- In her 13 years as German chancellor, Merkel has set a good example for other Western leaders to follow in relations with Beijing, Chinese analysts say
Angela Merkel has set a pragmatic example for Western leaders in their dealings with China during her decade as chancellor of Germany, Chinese observers said.
Merkel, who has said she will set down as chancellor in 2021, had managed to balance the need to do business with Beijing and uphold western political values, analysts said.
“She is a rare case of a European leader who can be steady and pragmatic,” Tsinghua University international relations professor Shi Zhiqin said.
Merkel has made a great personal effort to promote German business in China, making 11 trips to the country in the past 13 years, including visits to second-tier cities at the forefront of German investment.
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In that time, trade between Germany and China has tripled from €61.1 billion (US$69.6 billion) in 2005 to €186.6 billion last year, with Germany’s exports to China quadrupling from €21.3 billion to €86.1 billion.
