See ‘great opportunity’ to develop ties, Merz tells Xi

2026-02-25 - 11:47

Beijing, China – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told China’s President Xi Jinping that he wanted to deepen ties between the two countries, as he becomes the latest in a string of western leaders to visit Beijing in recent months. “We are two of the world’s three largest industrial nations. This is a great responsibility. But it is also a great opportunity,” Merz said in the Chinese capital. He said the two countries had had good bilateral ties for decades and that ‘I would like to follow up on that’. In his meeting with ​Chinese Premier Li ​Qiang, Merz said that ​Germany wants ‌ to deepen economic ‌exchanges with Beijing. However, Merz added that Germany had specific concerns on cooperation and ​wanted to ensure ⁠that ​cooperation ​is fair. The chancellor stressed that the two nations must speak openly with each other. Li urged Germany to help safeguard free trade, as he referred to US President Donald Trump’s ​trade war, that has sent ripples down the global trading system. “China and Germany, as two of the world’s largest ​economies and major countries ‌with important influence, should strengthen our confidence in cooperation, jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade, and strive to build a more just and fair global governance system,” the premier said. Merz’s visit comes as Germany no longer sees the United States as a reliable partner and is scouring for global partners. China returned to being Germany’s most important trading partner in 2025, replacing the US’s brief stint, with a trade volume of more than €250bn (US$294bn) in 2025. Germany’s trade relationship with China has seen a significant shift. Germany’s trade deficit reached a record high in 2025, estimated at around €90bn according to the German Economic Institute. This marks an increase of €30bn over 2024 alone. Chinese industries are also increasingly leading in sectors once dominated by German firms. The German automobile industry was successfully serving the market in China, but both countries are now witnessing a transition to electric cars. While German electric cars may bring with them brand recognition, Chinese manufacturers have managed to make their cars cheaper, even exporting them to Europe. DW