Published: November 14th, 2022,
Last updated: November 14th, 2022
„We need to rethink our trade policy,“ declared Economics Minister Habeck right at the opening podium of the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Singapore on Saturday. What he meant above all was: In order to be more independent from China, Germany needs new partners – especially in Asia. Malte Kreuzfeldt is on the ground in Singapore to see how offensive and at the same time value-based the free trade offensive in the region can actually be. His conclusion: The wheels of diversification grind slowly. A free trade agreement between the EU and India remains a tough nut to crack in terms of negotiations. Countries like Pakistan or the Philippines are still a long way from meeting European human rights standards. Plus: Even if one day Germany is more broadly positioned, China will remain very important for German companies.