Germany’s upcoming federal election to determine the successor to Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany, marks a critical juncture in German foreign policy. An increasingly important foreign policy flashpoint is Germany’s relationship with China – especially in the context of Germany’s 5G rollout. In this episode, we walk you through the impact of Merkel’s chancellorship on German-Chinese relations, the evolving role of the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei in Germany’s 5G rollout, and the challenges the next chancellor will face in dealing with China and building the country’s 5G network.

Special thanks to Sam Denney, Wiebke Siefer, and Andrew Small for appearing on this episode.

Hosts: Emma Ross

Researchers: Maggie Sparling and Alma Wolf

Producer: Jessica Ji

The Global Inquirer is a production of the International Relations Organization at UVA, and affiliated with TEEJ, UVA’s podcasting network.