Breaking
BRMan is found dead in Volta RedondaCNHe Xinchun established a religious support association to promote Taichung temple culture to the worldBRMan is shot dead and another is injured after attack on sidewalk in the interior of PIBRCyclist dies in accident with travel bus on Av. Admiral Barroso, in BelémITIn Milan, thousands of students march, 'let's take back the future'ITStrike in Campobasso, 'lower the weapons, raise the wages'DEPhilippines – Mayon: Authorities warn of major eruption after volcanic eruptionTRAttention Istanbulites: Many roads, including the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, will be closedCRYPTO-TRBinance TR stopped cryptocurrency withdrawalsBRCivil Defense issues geological risk alert in Belo Horizonte, see locationsBRMan is found dead in Volta RedondaCNHe Xinchun established a religious support association to promote Taichung temple culture to the worldBRMan is shot dead and another is injured after attack on sidewalk in the interior of PIBRCyclist dies in accident with travel bus on Av. Admiral Barroso, in BelémITIn Milan, thousands of students march, 'let's take back the future'ITStrike in Campobasso, 'lower the weapons, raise the wages'DEPhilippines – Mayon: Authorities warn of major eruption after volcanic eruptionTRAttention Istanbulites: Many roads, including the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, will be closedCRYPTO-TRBinance TR stopped cryptocurrency withdrawalsBRCivil Defense issues geological risk alert in Belo Horizonte, see locations
NewsgatherNewsgather
All StoriesWorldSportsFinanceTechScience
Sign In
All StoriesWorldSportsFinanceTechScienceHealthCultureClimatePoliticsSpace
NewsgatherNewsgather

Real-time global news intelligence. Curated by humans, powered by data.

Sections

All StoriesWorldSportsFinanceTechScience

More

HealthCultureClimatePoliticsSpace

Company

AboutEditorial StandardsAdvertisingCareersPressContact

©️ 2026 Newsgather. A product by All Software 24. All rights reserved.

Privacy PolicyCookie PolicyImprintTerms of UseContent and Editorial PolicyRemoval RequestDelete Your AccountAdvertising PolicyContact
Back|Germany news: Friedrich Merz calls for global free trade alliance during Asia trip
Germany news: Friedrich Merz calls for global free trade alliance during Asia trip
World
Deutsche Welle·3 hours ago·World·1 min read

Germany news: Friedrich Merz calls for global free trade alliance during Asia trip

Quick Look

On his Asia trip final day in Seoul, German Chancellor Merz urged a global free trade network amid US-China economic conflicts, backed by South Korean PM Han Seong Sook.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Chancellor Merz addressed the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul during his four-day Asia trip.

Font size

Chancellor Merz has again called for a global network of countries with a commitment to free trade based on international rules.

"Competition between the US and China is ramping up. Tariffs, technological decoupling strategies and a tough race for critical raw materials and new technologies are fundamentally changing the rules of our global economy," Merz said. "These conflicts and systemic shifts in power pattern concern us all. They particularly concern economically aspiring partners in the Indo-Pacific, as well as in Germany and in Europe."

His comments came while in South Korea on the final day of his four-day trip to Asia. He was speaking at the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul.

"We are resolutely joining forces against unilateralism, autocratic power politics and violations of international law," he said.

"When supply chains become political pawns, when access to key technologies is obstructed or when efforts to secure raw materials resemble displays of power rather than fair partnerships, this jeopardizes growth, prosperity and ultimately the security of entire regions," Merz added.

The chancellor had made a similar call in Singapore and Japan.

"German companies are using Korea as a central hub to expand their presence in the Asia-Pacific region," South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong Sook said at Thursday's conference.

Additional reporting by Nina Haase

Open Questions

  • ?Which specific countries will join the proposed free trade network?
  • ?How will the US and China respond to these multilateral initiatives?

Related Topics

People
Organizations
Places
Topics
This article was originally published by Deutsche Welle.

Quick Look

On his Asia trip final day in Seoul, German Chancellor Merz urged a global free trade network amid US-China economic conflicts, backed by South Korean PM Han Seong Sook.

AI-generated summary

Story signals

News tone
Neutral
Emotional intensity
High
News value
Moderate
Global impact
Global
Follow-up likelihood
Possible
Relevance window
Days

Source & Reliability

Source
Deutsche Welle
Story type
Hard news
Source quality
Full
Published
3 hours ago

Related Stories

More on this topic
Saudi Arabia reports interception of Houthi drone targeting Mecca
Developing·43 minutes ago

Saudi Arabia reports interception of Houthi drone targeting Mecca

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone targeting Saudi Arabia's Mecca region, amid escalating cross-border attacks and missile strikes on Riyadh and eastern Saudi Arabia. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca.

Al Jazeera
1 min read
Houthis sending Taiz ‘back to the stone age’, governor of besieged Yemen city says
Developing·1 hour ago

Houthis sending Taiz ‘back to the stone age’, governor of besieged Yemen city says

Taiz Governor Nabil Shamsan warned that the month-long Houthi siege is pushing the city back to the stone age, with depleting water, medical supplies, and food, contradicting Houthi claims that access remains open.

Guardian International
2 min read
Sudan investigation maps commanders linked to wartime rape
Developing·2 hours ago

Sudan investigation maps commanders linked to wartime rape

A new investigation by the Centre for Information Resilience links 25 commanders from the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces to areas where conflict-related sexual violence occurred, as the UK imposes sanctions.

Al Jazeera
5 min read
Germany news: Merz in Asia warns against weaponizing trade, calls for 'rules based' order
World·3 hours ago

Germany news: Merz in Asia warns against weaponizing trade, calls for 'rules based' order

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged closer cooperation between Europe and Asian economies during a conference in Seoul, warning against the impacts of US-China competition and trade decoupling.

Deutsche Welle
1 min read
How Israel choked off Hebron at 10 entrances, as 5,000 forced to flee
Developing·3 hours ago

How Israel choked off Hebron at 10 entrances, as 5,000 forced to flee

Nearly 5,000 people have been displaced and 780 families uprooted as an Israeli military siege and lockdown on Hebron in the southern West Bank enters its second week following a fatal shooting.

Al Jazeera
4 min read
US moves to lift sanctions on Russia's shadow fleet could undermine Western pressure on Moscow and help fund its war in Ukraine.
Developing·3 hours ago

US moves to lift sanctions on Russia's shadow fleet could undermine Western pressure on Moscow and help fund its war in Ukraine.

The US is reportedly considering lifting sanctions on some Russian shadow fleet tankers to ease global freight rates, raising concerns among European allies and experts that it could weaken pressure on Moscow.

Deutsche Welle
4 min read
More on this topic
free trade
germany
south korea
free trade
Merz
Han Seong Sook
Nina Haase
Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business
US
China
Germany
Europe
germany
south korea
us china relations
asia-pacific
free trade
free trade