Chancellor on Asia trip: Merz also promotes free trade network in South Korea
Singapore, Japan and now South Korea: The Chancellor has been on an Asian trip since Tuesday. At all stops, he is primarily promoting one concern.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has concluded his five-day Asia trip by advocating for a global network for free trade based on international rules. At the Asia-Pacific Conference of the German Economy in Seoul, Merz emphasized the need for like-minded partners to come together in the face of a changing geopolitical landscape. He criticized unilateralism and autocratic power politics, warning that such practices threaten growth, prosperity, and security in entire regions.
Merz proposed forming an alliance of like-minded states to promote free trade, in addition to the EU's existing free trade agreements and new agreements with regional blocs such as Asean and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Around 1000 business representatives are attending the conference, where numerous company agreements, particularly in the startup and AI sectors, are expected to be signed.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
