This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the EU. Germany, which took over the EU's six-month rotating presidency on July 1, continues to see maintaining deep EU-China cooperation as in Europe's interests, as Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has said on many occasions.

Despite these challenges, Germany's deep diplomatic, economic relations with China put it in a strong position to shepherd the EU's role in the evolving China-EU-U.S. triangle.

Some wonder if Germany's influence will wane with the coming end of the Merkel era. But in many ways, the country has the potential to play a bigger, not smaller role in world affairs by continuing the pragmatism that has been a hallmark of Merkel's foreign policy. By diversifying its foreign relations, Germany is well-placed to step into a more prominent international mediating role of the type it has proved adept at regionally.