7. China-Germany relations enjoy win-win cooperation

On Nov 23, Premier Li Qiang met with Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Li said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Germany 53 years ago, the two sides had continuously strengthened dialogue and cooperation, effectively promoting the common development of both countries. In China-Germany relations, mutual respect is the principle, and win-win cooperation is the defining feature.

Merz said Germany and China have long been important economic and trade partners for each other, with highly complementary economies. Germany attaches importance to developing relations with China and believes China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) will bring opportunities to both Germany and the EU.

Zheng Chunrong, director of the German Studies Center at Tongji University, said China-Germany relations are now at a pivotal moment. The year 2025 marked both the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of the China-Germany comprehensive strategic partnership. The trajectory of bilateral relations is therefore closely intertwined with the broader dynamics of China-EU relations.

Economic and trade cooperation has long served as an important link between China and Europe, but under the influence of geopolitics, certain political forces in Europe are attempting to treat economic ties as a tool of coercion. China and Germany must work to ensure that their bilateral relationship does not fall victim to such pressures.

The scale of China-Germany economic engagement remains enormous. In the first three quarters of 2025, bilateral trade once again surpassed Germany-US trade, making China Germany's largest global trading partner. However, to consolidate and deepen cooperation, both countries must identify and cultivate new areas of joint growth.

8. EU-China high-level environment and climate dialogue

On June 14, the Sixth EU-China High-Level Environment and Climate Dialogue, or HECD, was held in Beijing.

The two sides discussed their respective domestic climate, energy, and environmental policies, as well as bilateral cooperation and multilateral negotiations, reconfirmed that the HECD is an important platform for the exchange of views and cooperation and for advancing implementation and ambition. Two separate dialogues on the circular economy and energy have also been held.

Qin Yan, a principal analyst at Norway-based ClearBlue Markets, said that amid complex trade tensions, the dialogue in Beijing proved that the green partnership remains a most resilient bridge between Brussels and Beijing.

The dialogue also stands out as a resounding victory for global climate governance. In a year often defined by fragmentation, the event was a beacon of shared climate ambition. The joint commitment to accelerating the circular economy and locking in aggressive renewable goals ahead of COP30 was a master-class in bilateral leadership. The dialogue proved that the EU-China green partnership is not only resilient but the driving force propelling the world toward a sustainable future.

9. China and the EU ensure stable supply chains

In late 2025, after a period of export-control tension, the EU and China worked out a new "special channel" to ensure the stable supply of rare earths and critical raw materials to European industry, which is vital for sectors including EVs, battery production, green technologies, and electronics.

The move followed China's export controls on rare earths, which raised concerns in Europe after their introduction earlier in the year about potential disruptions to the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines, and other technologies that depend on permanent magnets.

The Chinese authorities agreed to suspend expansion of restrictive export controls for at least a year, and to prioritize export license applications from European companies, which helped avert immediate supply-chain crises in Europe.

Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University, said the rare earth issue was a good example of mutual dependence between China and the EU. If the EU approaches its economic and trade relations with China purely through the lens of geopolitical rivalry and "de-risking" industrial chains, it will inevitably prompt China to respond from its own security and geopolitical considerations. The result would be a negative downward spiral for the entire international economic order.

If Europe wishes to restore a healthy global economic system, it must return to an open, fair, and multilateral framework, rather than imposing a security-driven or geopolitical interpretation on economic interactions. Only in this way can global and bilateral economic relations return to a positive and sustainable track.