Most people don't know that Alice Weidel of AfD has links with China.
Before Alice Weidel became one of the most watched figures in German politics, she lived in China for approximately six years, worked in the financial world, studied Mandarin Chinese, and chose "the Chinese pension system" as the topic of her doctoral dissertation.
Today, those experiences are becoming increasingly significant as the AfD, which Weidel co-leads, rapidly expands its political base, from 20.8% in the 2025 Bundestag election to a 43.8% victory in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, 2026, aiming to move the party closer to federal power.
But this doesn't end with just German domestic politics. As the German government and the EU discuss "de-risking" and reducing dependence on China,
Weidel, with her preference for avoiding economic confrontation with China—revealed in her past criticism of EU sanctions against Chinese companies and her emphasis on open trade relations and markets—is crucial to the German economy.
This raises the interesting question: if the AfD gains greater control over Germany's power, will Weidel's experiences with China become a key factor in restructuring German policy toward China? This issue requires a long-term analysis.
Author: Saikat Bhattacharya
