Friedrich Merz criticized Beijing during his first stop in Singapore, urging China to leverage its influence on Russia for a just peace in Ukraine rather than supporting Moscow’s war. The criticism from Merz is noteworthy. Merz warned against complete economic decoupling from China while emphasizing the need to reduce one-sided dependencies.
Strengthening Indo-Pacific Ties and Countering Protectionism
Merz’s remarks in Singapore mark a deliberate push to fortify economic ties across the Indo-Pacific. Merz advocated for better coordination of EU trade agreements and a comprehensive free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). He expressed that he expects a “brand-new dimension” of trade relations, framing it as a direct counterweight to rising global trade restrictions. Lawrence Wong agreed with the sentiment, noting that the current geopolitical zeitgeist turns away from openness. Wong asserted that the regional response cannot be inward-looking isolation, calling instead for new connections among like-minded partners.
Industrial Innovation and Regional Growth
The visit to Singapore underscored a strategic pivot toward combining industrial might with technological breakthroughs. According to Tim Philippi, Hauptgeschäftsführer of the AHK Singapur, writing in Table.Briefings, the city-state serves not merely as an individual export market but as a vital springboard for broader operations across Southeast Asia, a region boasting an average economic growth rate of roughly five percent in recent years. Discussions in Singapore focused heavily on artificial intelligence, robotics, and logistics. Merz highlighted specific cross-border collaborations, such as Schaeffler partnering with Nanyang Technological University on humanoid robotics and Agile Robots teaming up with Japan’s Hitachi group for industrial physical AI applications.
| Partner Country / Region | Key Strategic Focus | Key Corporate / Institutional Partners |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | Industrial AI, robotics, logistics, and regional supply chain expansion | Schaeffler, Nanyang Technological University, Agile Robots, Hitachi |
| Japan | Critical raw materials and strategic supply chain independence | German and Japanese industrial enterprises |
Securing Critical Resources in Japan
As the itinerary shifts to Japan, the mission pivots toward securing critical raw materials and eroding industrial reliance on Chinese supply chains. Thilo Brodtmann, Hauptgeschäftsführer of the VDMA, pointed to Japan as a blueprint for strategic resource planning. Brodtmann noted that both Japan and the European Union share an urgent imperative to dial back their vulnerability to Chinese material exports, given that Tokyo initiated its own independent raw materials security framework years ago. Delegations anticipate signing multiple memoranda of understanding between German and Japanese enterprises during the visit, alongside high-level talks with political and business leaders concerning industrial security.
