Extremely deep economic ties with both the United States and China made Germany unwilling to take sides, despite pressure from the sides.

Since World War II, Washington and Berlin have been tied together by common values, democratic institutions, and a network of international agreements and cooperation.

The United States is credited with helping to build modern Germany and its largest export market, while China has recently risen to become Germany's largest trading partner.

Germany's export-oriented economic model means that it needs both the US and China.

Trade relations with the US and China have benefited greatly for Germany over the past two decades, helping them maintain steady growth, nearly enough jobs for the people.

"Why do we have to choose sides, especially in a recession? Nobody wants that," said Jorg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

Unlike other European economies, the trade relations between Germany and China are relatively balanced.

China is also the number one market for German car manufacturers.

"I can't imagine what Volkswagen would be like without China," said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess, who once called China the group's "second home", recently praised the way Beijing handled Covid-19.

"Germany wants to do business with China. Getting closer to their market is our main priority," Mikko Huotari, chief executive of the Mercator China Institute of Research in Berlin, said, adding that

According to World Bank data, the level of economic cooperation with China of other European countries is much less than that of Germany.

However, the US market also plays a very important role for Germany.

Recent polls, however, show that the Germans are increasingly less sympathetic to the United States.

Germans now consider Berlin's relationship with Beijing as important as its cooperation with Washington, according to a survey last month by the Pew Research Center.

German officials, meanwhile, are frustrated with China's drastic moves in many foreign affairs, and increasingly frustrated by their silence on economic cooperation.

The reason given is concern about Covid-19.

Many German businessmen say they are losing patience with Chinese obstacles, such as pressure to transfer technology, subsidies and protectionist barriers, which are considered the price to pay for penetration.

However, Berlin's frustration has not yet been translated into a specific policy, a move capable of "provoking" and causing Beijing to retaliate, damaging the German economy.

During a three-day visit to China last June, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier met Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei in Shanghai.

Jens Hildebrandt, executive director of the German Chamber of Commerce in China, also said that Chinese companies are stepping up strategic adjustment in China, by bringing more developments and research here, and at the same time.

"In terms of speed and growth potential, which market in the world can really replace China?", He said.