Europe’s Changing Consensus on China

In my first piece for Foreign Affairs since joining the Council on Foreign Relations, I look at diplomatic ties between the two countries that I know best: Germany and China. 

I speculate that the end of the Angela Merkel era will mean a (slightly) more forceful German foreign policy, especially if it results in a coalition of Social Democrats, Liberals, and Greens. In the end, commerce will likely trump all, but we can expect some louder noises coming out of Berlin regarding human rights and China’s positions toward its Asian neighbors.