First Official Visit: German Chancellor Opens New Chapter with China

 

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz began his first official visit to China since taking office in 2025, meeting President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, accompanied by a large delegation of German business leaders.

Merz called for “fairer” cooperation with China, Germany’s largest trading partner, stressing the importance of equitable collaboration, open communication, and safeguarding multilateralism and free trade.

President Xi expressed hope to elevate bilateral ties to “new levels,” highlighting the significance of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations.

Merz outlined five principles to guide future relations: reducing dependencies, strengthening self-reliance, establishing fair competition rules, enhancing international cooperation to resolve crises without “mutual lecturing,” and embedding relations with China within a broader European framework.

Sources – Agencies