Germany wants to buy more drones from Taiwan in the future, rather than always from China. However, a number of economic and political barriers are restricting trade between Berlin and Taipei.

 In the global drone market, China currently dominates. However, Taiwan is becoming increasingly attractive to German companies looking to diversify their drone supply.

According to a report released this month by the Center for Science, Technology, Democracy and Society (DSET), a Taiwanese think tank, Germany has become the second-largest importer of Taiwan-made drones by the first quarter of 2025.

"We are trying to reduce our dependence on China [in the field of drones]," Verena Jackson, a researcher at the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies (CISS) at the Bundeswehr University, told DW.

Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of China, has been aggressively preventing Taipei from establishing diplomatic and commercial relations with other countries. Given Germany's close economic cooperation with China, Beijing may be unhappy with Germany's intention to switch to Taiwan-made drones and their key components.