The transatlantic economy accounts for more than half of the world’s trade and investment. The U.S.-German relationship is at the center of this economy. Since 1989, U.S. direct investment in Germany has more than quadrupled and German investment in the United States has grown seven-fold.

The United States and Germany highly value science and technology (S&T); both have committed to spend 3% of GDP on S&T research and development. More than 50 bilateral cooperation agreements exist between U.S. and German government agencies and scientific institutions along with over 1,500 university partnerships.

Germany today is at the forefront of the Euro-Atlantic relationship, and organizations such as the Atlantic Council, the Atlantik-Bruecke, the German Marshall Fund, the American Council on Germany, and the American Academy in Berlin energize frequent and productive exchanges on shared values, responsibilities and policies.

President Obama is hosting German Chancellor Angela Merkel for an Official Visit June 6-7. The visit reaffirms the strong ties between the United States and Germany, which are grounded in common heritage, ideals, values and interests and encompass a wide variety of endeavors, including cooperating on defense and security...and promoting democracy and human rights.

More than two years into his term, Obama cuts the image of an all-business envoy, seldom going outside normal business hours to turn on the charm with other heads of state. He appears to have built few deep personal bonds with foreign leaders, and his forays into public diplomacy are notable for their rarity.

Germans are right to press for more cohesive European governance. It also might help Germany get along better with others. Germany is Europe’s powerhouse economy and preeminent political force, but lately it hasn’t won laurels for statecraft.

Whether Volvo’s European chief executive and its new Chinese owner can steer Volvo to success has implications for corporate China's global expansion. Chinese companies have poured billions of dollars into foreign acquisitions - but have had little success managing major consumer brands.

Rumor of a European vegetable conspiracy, the suggestion that the E. coli epidemic was deliberately engineered to hurt Spanish and/or other European farmers thereby boosting their own agricultural sector, is the direct result of the EU's distorted agricultural policy.