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German leader to make his 1st visit to China next week as country seeks ‘right balance’ in ties
Chancellor Merz's visit aims to secure trade ties amid rising competition with China, whose trade with Germany increased 2.1% to €251.8 billion last year, Destatis reported.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will leave Berlin Tuesday for his first visit to China next week, where he will be received in Beijing on Wednesday by Premier Li Qiang and Chinese leader Xi Jinping with a large business delegation.
- Destatis reported China reclaimed its place as Germany's biggest trading partner last year with €251.8 billion, a 2.1% increase, amid rising imports and falling exports.
- The programme includes visits to Unitree and Siemens Energy in Hangzhou, and Beijing's Forbidden City and Mercedes‑Benz, with Merz warning that `China today sees itself in stark contrast to the US and claims the right to define a new multilateral order according to its own rules`.
- Officials say the trip aims to balance competition and cooperation, protecting export-dependent Germany amid concerns over Beijing's assertiveness and differing Ukraine war stances.
- China's recent remarks at the Munich Security Conference signaled Beijing's desire 'to a new level' and to see Germany as a 'stabilising anchor for strategic relations', Merz's spokesman said Friday.
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49 Articles
China replaced the US as Germany's most important trading partner again in 2025. However, the US was the largest customer of German export goods - despite the tariffs imposed by US President Trump.
German leader to make his first visit to China next week as country seeks 'right balance' in ties
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will make his first visit to China next week since taking the helm of Europe's biggest economy, as he tries to position the country to a world in which assertive great powers play an increasingly dominant role.
Associated Press News
German leader to make his 1st visit to China next week as country seeks 'right balance' in ties
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will make his first visit to China next week since taking the helm of Europe’s biggest economy.
At times, the US had pushed the People's Republic out of place, but both Trump's customs policy and geopolitical distortions strongly influence trade flows.
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