German Chancellor Merz Warns Against Weaponizing Trade in Asia

DW World · world

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz concluded a three-country Asian tour by urging against the weaponization of trade and advocating for a rules-based global economic order. Speaking in South Korea, Merz emphasized that supply chains should not become political pawns amid escalating US-China competition. He highlighted that systemic power shifts concern all nations, particularly aspiring economies in the Indo-Pacific, Germany, and Europe. Merz also pushed for free trade partnerships and increased European cooperation with Asian economies during his stops in Singapore and Japan.