(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) "Handelsblatt" reporter in China wrote in his impressions of China that "Made in Germany" has always enjoyed a high reputation in China. But now when talking about German cars, German railways and German universities, the Chinese people's original sincere admiration is turning into ridicule and regret. The article titled "The Image of Germany in Chinese People's Mind is Changing" reads:
"As the resident correspondent of Handelsblatt in Shanghai, Chinese people often ask me about the situation in Germany. In most cases, their questions reveal sincere concern: How can Germany regain its vitality? But sometimes it is also sympathetic and even slightly condescending: How did Germany end up in such a bad situation? What's happening today? The implication is that compared with China's economic miracle, Germany's economic strength has declined significantly. Two years ago, this kind of question would have made me immediately enter the mode of defending Germany. But after all, I am not a diplomat, but a journalist, and it is what I should do to let everyone speak freely.
However, in Chinese social media, some claims are simply too exaggerated. For example, someone issued a warning to stay away from Frankfurt Main Station. In view of this, my female Chinese teacher took the train directly to Cologne after landing at Frankfurt Airport. In fact, Cologne is not much better than Frankfurt, it just attracts less attention from Chinese social media.
I am not trying to say that the Chinese view of Germany is completely wrong, but I want to emphasize that this view is changing. Germany's image in China is deteriorating, and all this could have unintended consequences. This is especially true for those Chinese families who have long had high hopes for Germany: working in German companies, studying in German schools in China, and applying for further studies in German universities, etc.
Once interest in Germany decreases, bilateral exchanges, mutual understanding, and personal experience of each other's countries between Germany and China are also likely to decrease. Geopolitical rivalries and various espionage accusations have made communication more difficult. Not only is China's image in Germany increasingly negative, but Germany's image in China is also becoming increasingly complex, which undoubtedly makes bilateral cooperation more difficult. "
Martin Benninghoff, China correspondent of Handelsblatt, wrote that although "Made in Germany" still enjoys a high reputation in China, it has long lost its former halo. Compared with five years ago, there are significantly fewer German-made cars on the streets of Shanghai:
"If you want to restore the reputation of German railways as punctual, I am afraid you need to hire the most expensive advertising company and spend twenty years coming up with all kinds of wonderful advertising slogans. On Chinese social media such as Xiaohongshu, jokes about German railway delays and platform chaos can be seen everywhere, which is comparable to the various jokes made by Germans making fun of the East Frisians in my childhood.
This change is also reflected in the study directions of Chinese young people. The number of Chinese students in Germany has shown a trend of falling back from the peak: according to data from the German Academic Exchange Center, the number of Chinese students registered in the winter semester from 2019 to 2020 was 41,353, and it has dropped to 38,989 in the winter semester from 2024 to 2025.
Of course, this data itself does not explain the decline of Germany's image, but it is highly consistent with my personal experience: even in Shanghai, where Germany has a relatively large influence, the younger generation no longer lists Germany as their first choice as it did in the past. "
"The irreconcilable trade dispute between China and the United States"
"Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" commented that in the game between China and the United States over trade relations, although both sides are unwilling to escalate the conflict, they are also unwilling to make substantive compromises:
"By briefly extending the 'ceasefire' in the trade war, Washington continues to maintain a high-pressure posture that can escalate the conflict at any time, hoping to force Beijing to make more concessions before January. In view of this, the end of this year will be a severe test for both sides. The 'ceasefire' has been extended until after the mid-term elections in the United States and the Fifth Plenary Session of the CCP Central Committee. In addition, before the ceasefire expires, the APEC summit and the G20 summit will be held in Shenzhen and Miami respectively. Trump and Xi Jinping may meet again at that time. This series of upcoming political agendas may prompt the Chinese and American governments to maintain restraint and not further tighten trade policies.
The most likely scenario at present is that Washington and Beijing once again announce the extension of the ‘ceasefire’ before January. Both sides know that once the conflict escalates, each will pay a heavy price, but neither side is willing to make substantive compromises. In view of this, it is highly unlikely that the two sides will reach a comprehensive and long-term agreement. China and the United States have formed deep-rooted conflicts in the fields of technology, supply chain and industrial policy. After January, Sino-US trade relations will probably still be full of mutual provocations and localized countermeasures. The ceasefire provides respite, but it cannot provide a solution to the competition between China and the United States in the technological and economic fields. "
