The issue began with Ukraine, raising questions about Germany’s reliance on Russian gas, and now it centers on allegations that Xinjiang, the focus of China, has serious human rights problems.
Green Party deputy Anton Hofreiter argues that this cannot continue: “Prosperity in Germany has come from buying cheap raw materials from one dictatorship, Russia, and then manufacturing goods to sell to another: China. This path must end.”
No other EU country is as deeply economically intertwined with China as Germany. At the outset, Germany was the stronger partner, but today the balance has shifted.
Germany remains China’s sixth-largest trading partner for now, even as China has been Germany’s most important partner for eight years running.
Several German giants—Siemens, Volkswagen, Daimler, BASF—have long bet big on the Asian giant. Yet it wasn’t only those behemoths; many midsize firms and suppliers saw a chance to grow as well.
Der Spiegel reported that German exports to China have surged by more than 4,700 percent over thirty years. After the 2008 financial crisis, Berlin benefited from Beijing’s multi-billion-dollar infrastructure push.
China’s rapid rebound from the coronavirus pandemic helped shield the German economy from a deeper downturn. The steady rise of Chinese infrastructure and the Beijing-led “New Silk Road” have fascinated German industrialists who track every milestone of modernization.
Yet China is quickly moving toward greater self-reliance in technology, shaping its own capabilities and sometimes overtaking German expertise in areas like solar panels and high-speed rail, both heavily subsidized by Beijing.
As with Russia, German governments across the spectrum—Christian Democrats and Social Democrats alike—often cited the slogan “Wandel durch Handel,” implying that trade would foster democratic change. A different outcome has, however, emerged with Russia and China, where the state has increasingly restricted individual freedoms under advanced surveillance. Some Western producers with factories in China have chosen to look away.
For instance, Volkswagen, the world’s largest automaker, ships around forty percent of its production and operates a plant in the Xinjiang region.
The new coalition government, led by Olaf Scholz and comprising Social Democrats, Greens, and Free Democrats, has signaled an aim to place human rights at the center of talks with China while seeking to reduce dependency, much like with Russia.
The Greens, known for a vigorous defense of human rights, have pushed to diversify energy sources and signed deals with alternatives to Russian gas, including cooperation with the United Arab Emirates. The commitment, though, is not a flawless democratic model in some critics’ eyes.
Anyway, the parties say breaking away from China entirely is not feasible if Germany wants to meet climate goals set in Paris. Still, reducing exposure to a single economic power remains a priority.
Questions arise as to why leaked documents about Uyghur rights violations surface now, when a trade conflict between the United States and China has long been evident. The timing invites close scrutiny and debate about motives and risk.
The central figure in this debate is Adrian Zenz, a German-born anthropologist who now lives in the United States. He has been investigating alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet, drawing on documents he claims to have obtained from police archives. Zenz works with a private American foundation focused on anti-communist issues.
In Europe, Zenz says he has felt increasingly isolated with this topic, a contrast to the United States where attention and resources have been stronger. The discussions touch on sensitive political and moral questions about global supply chains, human rights, and the responsibilities of multinational corporations.
In summary, Germany faces a difficult balancing act: maintaining economic ties with a powerful China while responding to concerns about human rights and democratic values. The path forward involves cautious diplomacy, vigilant monitoring of trade practices, and a willingness to rethink dependencies in an interconnected global economy.