Kanzler auf Asienreise: Deutschland und Singapur bauen Partnerschaft aus

Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz has embarked on an Asia trip to deepen strategic partnerships, beginning with Singapore. Speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Merz emphasized the need to assert Germany's interests in an era of emerging great power competition. They agreed on a roadmap to strengthen cooperation in security, defense, trade, investment, green energy, and artificial intelligence.

Merz also expressed support for advancing free trade agreements with the region, as a counter to perceived limitations on global trade, particularly from China.

Merz's Asia visit aims to broaden Germany's partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region and reduce dependence on China. After Singapore, he will travel to Japan and South Korea. Merz will deliver a keynote lecture at the Singapore Lecture series, a platform that has hosted notable speakers such as former South African freedom fighter and president Nelson Mandela, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In a gesture of honor, an orchid species named "Vanda Friedrich Merz" was unveiled during his visit. This is the third plant named after Merz, following "Dendrobium Angela Merkel" and "Renanthera Olaf Scholz." Merz expressed his gratitude for the recognition, noting it as "a great honor." The orchid, with its lilac-brown flowers and deep green leaves, is the national flower of Singapore.

The tradition of honoring high-profile guests with named orchids is known as "orchid diplomacy." Around 2,400 German companies operate in Singapore, with an annual trade volume of €11.8 billion. Merz's trip aims to diversify Germany's economic ties, reducing reliance on China, both in exports and imports of crucial resources.