Mertz's "trembling" in China prompts collective reflection in Europe

► Observer Network, Ruan Jiaqiqi

Last month, in the showroom of Yushu Technology in Hangzhou, German Chancellor Merz initially smiled and applauded a martial arts performance brought by a row of humanoid robots.

But when a boxing robot walked straight toward him and threw a punch with its red-gloved fist, the German Chancellor instinctively flinched, a hint of panic flashing across his face. In that moment, he seemed to realize something.

“At that moment, Merz deeply felt the power of Chinese technology,” an anonymous source familiar with Merz’s thoughts revealed to American media, adding that Merz viewed this scene as a strong confirmation of two key facts: first, Germany has fallen far behind in relevant fields; second, the EU’s stringent regulations are heavily hindering Europe’s efforts to catch up with China.

On February 26, 2026, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, German Chancellor Merz visited the Chinese robotics company Yushu Technology.

Dongfang IC

American Bloomberg reported on the 20th that Merz’s visit to China last month has triggered a broader collective reflection across Europe: against the backdrop of ongoing diplomatic turmoil created by the Trump administration in the U.S., Europe is worried about completely falling behind in the global tech race while being unable to tackle two trade wars simultaneously. Therefore, it is gradually abandoning the radical “de-risking” approach toward China, instead softening its stance and actively seeking to rebuild communication and deepen bilateral cooperation.

The report pointed out that although EU headquarters continues to amplify concerns over the large trade deficit between China and Europe and so-called “over-reliance,” in the face of escalating tariffs from the U.S. and its fluctuating commitments to European security, leaders from many European countries are increasingly inclined to view China as a more reliable and stable partner.

“(Europe is reflecting), perhaps complete de-risking from China is an inherently difficult task. Even in the face of market competition challenges, Europe needs to learn to build a new way of coexistence with China.”

The article emphasized that as the Trump administration imposed tariffs on EU companies, questioned the security guarantees that have protected the European continent for generations, and created chaos in the energy market, “for officials in European countries, taking a hard stance against China is becoming increasingly untenable.”

According to Bloomberg, officials familiar with the thoughts of major European governments admitted that European leaders generally realize that Europe is deeply mired in trade conflicts with the U.S. and has no extra energy to engage in another trade confrontation with China. Trump’s unilateral actions have left Europe no room for compromise.

These officials further disclosed that Europe had originally planned to invest significant time and energy in figuring out how to reduce reliance on China, but now must turn to address various crises triggered by the U.S. While Trump administration officials are well aware of the EU’s prioritization of managing risks posed by the White House, most scoff at and disregard it.

Brussels is still stirring up so-called “unfair competition,” urging member states not to “lean toward China," and the European Commission, responsible for executing EU trade policy, has not adjusted its stance toward China.

However, the real attitude shift of European governments can be clearly seen from the series of high-level visits to China in the past six months. Three of the four largest economies in the Eurozone (Germany, France, and Spain), along with leaders from the UK, Finland, and Ireland, have successively traveled to Beijing for meetings with Chinese senior officials.

American media specifically mentioned that Italian Prime Minister Meloni is currently the most watched among major EU leaders who have yet to visit China. Since taking office in 2022, she has deliberately attempted to distance herself from China. However, recent reports indicate that Fiat’s parent company, Stellantis, is seeking cooperation with Chinese car manufacturers to salvage its struggling European operations.

Far from the EU core, actions by some European nations are even more advanced: last month, Montenegro awarded a €640 million highway project contract to a consortium of Chinese companies; Serbia recently procured Chinese-produced supersonic missiles, setting a precedent for European countries purchasing such weapons; last year, the Serbian military even traveled to China for its first joint military exercises.

Photos initially shared on social media showed that the Serbian Air Force’s MiG-29SM+ fighter jet with tail number 18205 was equipped with two CM-400AKG air-to-ground missiles.

Social Media

“But what truly triggered a widespread reflection in Europe was Merz’s visit to China,” the report pointed out.

During the election campaign last year, Merz deliberately adopted a hardline stance toward China to cater to public opinion, echoing the EU’s unfounded criticisms and baseless accusations against China regarding supply chains, the Taiwan Strait situation, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict; at the beginning of his term, he also insisted on implementing a tougher policy toward China. However, as time passed, he gradually realized that this hardline approach was simply unworkable for Germany.

Last month, Merz led the largest trade delegation in Germany’s history to visit China, receiving a warm welcome from the Chinese side. At the end of the visit, Merz’s tone changed dramatically: “We should strengthen our relationship with China, and I myself am determined to do so.”

In his first public speech after returning to Germany, he even exclaimed that this trip to China made him clearly recognize that Germany’s competitiveness is “seriously insufficient,” and the German people must “work twice as hard.”

His emotional outburst, as noted by a highly praised comment from a netizen on that occasion:

The German Chancellor’s 180-degree turnaround sparked considerable confusion in Berlin and Brussels.

According to reports, a German official explained this sudden shift to conservative members of the party, stating that the erratic and unstable nature of U.S. policies under Trump has made it impossible for Merz to continue adhering to Germany’s established foreign policy framework, requiring practical adjustments.

In Brussels, some policymakers who originally hoped Merz would maintain his initial hardline stance began to worry, believing that Europe’s tendency to actively lean toward China could completely undermine a series of policies previously introduced under the banner of “reducing reliance on critical minerals and telecommunications infrastructure” with China.

Some insiders explicitly stated that Germany’s significant shift in position would also make it more difficult for Europe to utilize trade defense tools like the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) against China in the future.

These insiders also acknowledged that European leaders are not unaware that individual visits to China might be viewed as “dividing Europe” and could give China the opportunity to expand its influence. However, they are more aware that, in the current situation, besides direct dialogue and contact with the Chinese side, Europe has almost no other viable options.

This pragmatic turn toward China by Europe has also caused concern among a group of Western scholars closely monitoring U.S.-EU relations.

On the 19th, The Washington Post published a lengthy commentary co-authored by Alina Polyakova, president and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis, and Alexander Gray, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. The two wrote in an extremely anxious tone, vehemently claiming that Europe’s leaning toward China is a “strategic mistake.”

In the article, they lamented in an almost thumping-the-table fashion that Europe and China’s “ambiguity” has persisted for months, falsely accusing China of being “not a mild and benevolent international actor, but rather using economic power to bind weaker countries and coercing others to submit to its will.”

They also blindly rallied for the U.S., vigorously promoting the reinforcement of the U.S.-EU alliance. The article stated that the U.S.-EU economic bloc is the largest in the world, with a total trade in goods and services amounting to $2 trillion per year. Europe possesses top talent and has core advantages in emerging technologies such as lithography, biotechnology, and quantum computing. Coupled with the U.S.'s dominant position in artificial intelligence, transatlantic technological cooperation will be unmatched.

However, in reality, this outdated narrative filled with Cold War thinking has long diverged from the current international situation and is completely at odds with the pragmatic choices of European countries pursuing their own interests.

On February 26, in the guestbook at the Forbidden City, Merz wrote a line from a poem by German poet Schiller, “The pace of time has three kinds: the future comes slowly, the present flies like an arrow, and the past stands still forever.”

This line of poetry may reflect Merz’s personal contemplation on time and choices, but it is also a self-reflection for Europe in the face of changing times.