Germany's Merz pushes China currency talks, urges freer yuan

BERLIN, July 13 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday called for a dialogue with China on Beijing's monetary policy, saying that the EU could not win, no matter how innovative or good the bloc may be, against a competitor that artificially manipulates its currency.

"We are now trying to steer the dialogue with China toward a solution ... an attempt to persuade China to allow its own currency to float freely, including in the context of competition in the capital markets," Merz said in a speech at a German university.

(Reporting by Miranda MurrayEditing by Linda Pasquini)