Germany's Merz pushing China's Xi on support for Ukraine ceasefire... Interesting to see China has strong power now in world affairs than before.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to support international efforts to get Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, in a first phone call between the two leaders since Merz took office earlier this month.
Merz and Xi assured each other they were open to cooperating on overcoming global challenges, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said after the call on Friday.
China is considered Russia's most important ally, as Moscow has found itself increasingly isolated by Western nations who have been providing Kiev with financial and military support in its defence against the full-scale Russian invasion launched over three years ago.
US efforts under President Donald Trump to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a halt in fighting have so far not produced any significant results.
Merz and Xi also discussed economic relations, Kornelius said, with the German chancellor noting the importance of fair competition.
The two leaders agreed to "soon continue the direct exchange, to develop German-Chinese cooperation further."
Tight-lipped Chinese response
The Chinese side only briefly touched on the Ukraine issue when commenting on the conversation.
Instead, Beijing stressed the importance of mutual relations, with Xi noting that the international situation was increasingly characterized by disorder and change.
The strategic and global significance of relations between China and Germany, as well as between China and Europe, was now even clearer, he reportedly said.
China was ready to open a new chapter in its comprehensive strategic partnership with Germany, according to Xi.
Political trust must be strengthened, and the resilience of bilateral relations increased, the president said, adding that China regards Germany as a partner and welcomes its growth and prosperity.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has held a phone call with Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher following the knife attack at the northern German city's central train station.
Merz wrote on X: "The news from Hamburg is shocking. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. My thanks go to all the emergency services on the ground for their rapid assistance."
Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said Merz has offered the assistance of the federal government, after Tschentscher informed him about the situation and the condition of the injured.
According to emergency services, six people suffered life-threatening injuries in the attack on Friday, with six more being hurt.
A 39-year-old German woman has been detained in connection with the attack.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a call on Friday highlighted the importance of their countries' relationship as both China and Europe are trying to tackle uncertainty caused by U.S. tariff policies.
Europe and China are among the biggest trading partners of the U.S. and have deep trading ties with each other. Chinese-German trade volume alone accounted for around 246 billion euros ($279 billion) last year, according to official figures.
Germany has in recent years sought a difficult balance in relations with China, seen by Berlin as both a strategic rival and a vital trading partner whose giant market has buoyed Germany's large export-driven economy.
In the call, Xi noted changes in the world unseen in a century, with "intertwined turmoil and transformation," official broadcaster CCTV reported.
"China is willing to work with Germany to open a new chapter in their all-round strategic partnership, to lead China-EU relations toward new development, and to contribute to the stable growth of the global economy," Xi was quoted as saying.
Merz's spokesperson said both leaders emphasized their willingness to cooperate to overcome global challenges.
"Chancellor Merz emphasized the importance of fair competition and reciprocity," he added.
Neither Berlin nor the CCTV report explicitly mentioned U.S. tariffs.
Beijing earlier this month urged Germany not to undermine cooperation in the name of de-risking, a strategy by Europe to reduce its dependence on China trade.
The European Union, of which Germany is the biggest economic power, and China are also at odds over Chinese electric vehicles.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gave his support on Thursday to a higher spending target for the military, as pressure grows on NATO countries to increase their defence budgets.
Speaking during a visit to Lithuania, where he formally launched a new German brigade, Merz said the German government agreed with the new target, as previously outlined by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Rutte had proposed that defence-related spending by members of the military alliance should reach 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), with an additional 1.5% for military infrastructure.
"From the perspective of the German government, these are two figures that we could get close to. They seem reasonable to us, they also seem achievable to us, at least in the specified timeframe up to 2032," Merz said.
On Tuesday, Merz's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius unveiled a roadmap for how to achieve the higher spending target.
On the sidelines of a meeting in Brussels, Pistorius outlined a plan for Germany to increase military expenditure as a ratio of GDP by 0.2 percentage points per year over a period of seven years up until 2032.
A new NATO spending target is set to be adopted at the NATO summit in the Dutch city of The Hague in June.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Germany's new chancellor said it will build Europe's strongest army — but can it deliver?
Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to build Europe's strongest military for Germany.
Germany's shift in defense policy followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and NATO goals.
Experts highlighted challenges like underinvestment, recruitment, and political consensus.
Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, vowed last week that the country will build "the strongest conventional army in Europe."
It comes as Germany and others adapt to the drive for European countries to rapidly rearm in the face of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — but contrasts with recent decades when the country has preferred soft power over military strength.
So, how feasible is it for Germany to be the continent's biggest military power?
"For now, the money is there, and Germans have deep pockets," Ulrich Kühn, a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Business Insider.
"What is missing is a general cross-party consensus on the issue, including the left wing of the governing Social Democrats, who are more skeptical of projecting military power," he said.
Last month, Germany announced that it was deploying troops to Lithuania on a long-term basis—the first long-term deployment of German soldiers to another country since World War II, another sign of its changing military approach.
Kühn added that the commitment to increase Germany's defense spending "can only be the beginning if the goal is really to position itself as Europe's defense champion."
"What the German arms industry needs are long-term contracts well into the 2030s and state subsidies to rapidly scale up production," he said.
As of May 2024, Germany's army, the Bundeswehr, had 180,215 active-duty personnel.
Jörn Fleck, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Europe Center, told BI that a targeted increase of the German armed forces to 200,000 had been delayed until 2031 "due to lackluster recruitment and an ageing force."
But he said that Germany "has taken important initial steps to rebuild the German military into one of Europe's leading conventional forces."
Fleck cited a €100 billion special fund to modernize the military, announced in 2022, and constitutional changes to partially exempt defense spending from Germany's debt brake, which was imposed after the 2008 financial crisis and limits the deficit to just 0.35% of GDP. By contrast, the US deficit exceeded 6% last year.
But Fleck warned that Germany "will have to overcome two if not three decades of underinvestment in its armed forces."
"The resulting force reductions, readiness problems, capability gaps, and infrastructure challenges will take years to reverse," he added. "They will not be solved by money alone and will require sustained political will and leadership."
One positive for Germany is its thriving defense industry, which includes major players like Rheinmetall and KNDS, along with medium-sized companies and innovative startups.
In 2024, Rheinmetall saw sales related to its defense business increase by 50% year-on-year.
Germany's defense industry strategy, focused on key technologies, greater economies of scale, and the potential of the European market, is a "positive step in the right direction," Fleck said, but he added that the country will "have to fundamentally reform its procurement agency and processes" to boost its defense industry.
He also said that advancing Germany's military capabilities will move the needle across Europe, given the country's political and economic weight on the continent.
This has already been visible when it comes to the REARM initiative that opened the door for countries to spend more on defense, and the proposal for common EU borrowing to fund joint development and procurement.
"If Germany, Europe's reluctant hegemon with its fraught history, can get its act together on defense," Kühn said. "So can others."
Germany's Merz pushing China's Xi on support for Ukraine ceasefire... Interesting to see China has strong power now in world affairs than before.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to support international efforts to get Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, in a first phone call between the two leaders since Merz took office earlier this month.
Merz and Xi assured each other they were open to cooperating on overcoming global challenges, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said after the call on Friday.
China is considered Russia's most important ally, as Moscow has found itself increasingly isolated by Western nations who have been providing Kiev with financial and military support in its defence against the full-scale Russian invasion launched over three years ago.
US efforts under President Donald Trump to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a halt in fighting have so far not produced any significant results.
Merz and Xi also discussed economic relations, Kornelius said, with the German chancellor noting the importance of fair competition.
The two leaders agreed to "soon continue the direct exchange, to develop German-Chinese cooperation further."
Tight-lipped Chinese response
The Chinese side only briefly touched on the Ukraine issue when commenting on the conversation.
Instead, Beijing stressed the importance of mutual relations, with Xi noting that the international situation was increasingly characterized by disorder and change.
The strategic and global significance of relations between China and Germany, as well as between China and Europe, was now even clearer, he reportedly said.
China was ready to open a new chapter in its comprehensive strategic partnership with Germany, according to Xi.
Political trust must be strengthened, and the resilience of bilateral relations increased, the president said, adding that China regards Germany as a partner and welcomes its growth and prosperity.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has held a phone call with Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher following the knife attack at the northern German city's central train station.
Merz wrote on X: "The news from Hamburg is shocking. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. My thanks go to all the emergency services on the ground for their rapid assistance."
Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said Merz has offered the assistance of the federal government, after Tschentscher informed him about the situation and the condition of the injured.
According to emergency services, six people suffered life-threatening injuries in the attack on Friday, with six more being hurt.
A 39-year-old German woman has been detained in connection with the attack.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a call on Friday highlighted the importance of their countries' relationship as both China and Europe are trying to tackle uncertainty caused by U.S. tariff policies.
Europe and China are among the biggest trading partners of the U.S. and have deep trading ties with each other. Chinese-German trade volume alone accounted for around 246 billion euros ($279 billion) last year, according to official figures.
Germany has in recent years sought a difficult balance in relations with China, seen by Berlin as both a strategic rival and a vital trading partner whose giant market has buoyed Germany's large export-driven economy.
In the call, Xi noted changes in the world unseen in a century, with "intertwined turmoil and transformation," official broadcaster CCTV reported.
"China is willing to work with Germany to open a new chapter in their all-round strategic partnership, to lead China-EU relations toward new development, and to contribute to the stable growth of the global economy," Xi was quoted as saying.
Merz's spokesperson said both leaders emphasized their willingness to cooperate to overcome global challenges.
"Chancellor Merz emphasized the importance of fair competition and reciprocity," he added.
Neither Berlin nor the CCTV report explicitly mentioned U.S. tariffs.
Beijing earlier this month urged Germany not to undermine cooperation in the name of de-risking, a strategy by Europe to reduce its dependence on China trade.
The European Union, of which Germany is the biggest economic power, and China are also at odds over Chinese electric vehicles.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gave his support on Thursday to a higher spending target for the military, as pressure grows on NATO countries to increase their defence budgets.
Speaking during a visit to Lithuania, where he formally launched a new German brigade, Merz said the German government agreed with the new target, as previously outlined by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Rutte had proposed that defence-related spending by members of the military alliance should reach 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), with an additional 1.5% for military infrastructure.
"From the perspective of the German government, these are two figures that we could get close to. They seem reasonable to us, they also seem achievable to us, at least in the specified timeframe up to 2032," Merz said.
On Tuesday, Merz's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius unveiled a roadmap for how to achieve the higher spending target.
On the sidelines of a meeting in Brussels, Pistorius outlined a plan for Germany to increase military expenditure as a ratio of GDP by 0.2 percentage points per year over a period of seven years up until 2032.
A new NATO spending target is set to be adopted at the NATO summit in the Dutch city of The Hague in June.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Germany's new chancellor said it will build Europe's strongest army — but can it deliver?
Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to build Europe's strongest military for Germany.
Germany's shift in defense policy followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and NATO goals.
Experts highlighted challenges like underinvestment, recruitment, and political consensus.
Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, vowed last week that the country will build "the strongest conventional army in Europe."
It comes as Germany and others adapt to the drive for European countries to rapidly rearm in the face of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — but contrasts with recent decades when the country has preferred soft power over military strength.
So, how feasible is it for Germany to be the continent's biggest military power?
"For now, the money is there, and Germans have deep pockets," Ulrich Kühn, a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Business Insider.
"What is missing is a general cross-party consensus on the issue, including the left wing of the governing Social Democrats, who are more skeptical of projecting military power," he said.
Last month, Germany announced that it was deploying troops to Lithuania on a long-term basis—the first long-term deployment of German soldiers to another country since World War II, another sign of its changing military approach.
Kühn added that the commitment to increase Germany's defense spending "can only be the beginning if the goal is really to position itself as Europe's defense champion."
"What the German arms industry needs are long-term contracts well into the 2030s and state subsidies to rapidly scale up production," he said.
As of May 2024, Germany's army, the Bundeswehr, had 180,215 active-duty personnel.
Jörn Fleck, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Europe Center, told BI that a targeted increase of the German armed forces to 200,000 had been delayed until 2031 "due to lackluster recruitment and an ageing force."
But he said that Germany "has taken important initial steps to rebuild the German military into one of Europe's leading conventional forces."
Fleck cited a €100 billion special fund to modernize the military, announced in 2022, and constitutional changes to partially exempt defense spending from Germany's debt brake, which was imposed after the 2008 financial crisis and limits the deficit to just 0.35% of GDP. By contrast, the US deficit exceeded 6% last year.
But Fleck warned that Germany "will have to overcome two if not three decades of underinvestment in its armed forces."
"The resulting force reductions, readiness problems, capability gaps, and infrastructure challenges will take years to reverse," he added. "They will not be solved by money alone and will require sustained political will and leadership."
One positive for Germany is its thriving defense industry, which includes major players like Rheinmetall and KNDS, along with medium-sized companies and innovative startups.
In 2024, Rheinmetall saw sales related to its defense business increase by 50% year-on-year.
Germany's defense industry strategy, focused on key technologies, greater economies of scale, and the potential of the European market, is a "positive step in the right direction," Fleck said, but he added that the country will "have to fundamentally reform its procurement agency and processes" to boost its defense industry.
He also said that advancing Germany's military capabilities will move the needle across Europe, given the country's political and economic weight on the continent.
This has already been visible when it comes to the REARM initiative that opened the door for countries to spend more on defense, and the proposal for common EU borrowing to fund joint development and procurement.
"If Germany, Europe's reluctant hegemon with its fraught history, can get its act together on defense," Kühn said. "So can others."
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