Kanzler auf Asienreise: Merz wirbt auch in Südkorea für Freihandels-Netzwerk

At the conclusion of his five-day Asian tour, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz once again advocated for a global network of free trade based on international rules during the opening of the Asia Pacific Chamber of German Industry conference in Seoul. Merz emphasized that a shifting geopolitical landscape brings together likeminded partners.

"We unequivocally join forces against unilateralism, autocratic power politics, and violations of international law," he stressed. "When supply chains become political toys, when access to key technologies is obstructed, or when efforts to secure resources are more a show of power than a fair partnership, this endangers growth, prosperity, and ultimately the security of entire regions," Merz added.

China is once again accused of engaging in such trade practices. Merz proposed forming an alliance of like-minded states for free global trade, which would complement the largely dormant World Trade Organization. The chancellor also advocated for integrating the numerous EU free trade agreements and negotiating new agreements with blocs like ASEAN or the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Merz had already promoted a global free trade network at the Asia Pacific Forum in Singapore and Japan during his five-day Asian trip. Nearly 1000 business representatives took part in the Asia Pacific Conference in Seoul, the last stop on Merz's five-day Asian tour. Around 1000 business representatives from Germany and the Indo-Pacific region attended the Asia Pacific Conference.

On the sidelines of the visit, numerous business agreements, particularly in the startup and AI sectors, were expected to be signed. "German companies use Korea as a central hub to expand their presence in the Asia-Pacific region," South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong Sook said at the conference. In light of profound changes in the global economy, global networking is gaining increasing importance.

Han stressed three areas where she hopes for increased cooperation with Germany: battery production, semiconductors, and AI-driven industrial production transformation.