Germany aims to find “the right balance of cooperation” with China. The visit comes at a critical time for German car makers who face increased Chinese competition.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will make his first visit to China next week, a few days after the start of the Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival.
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"May the Year of the Horse bring strength and give new impetus to German-Chinese relations", Merz wrote on X, adding he is looking forward to traveling to China soon.
The chancellor, who took office in May, announced his trip to China as he spoke at the congress of his conservative CDU party in Stuttgart.
"We need economic relations with the entire world, and that, of course, includes a country like China", he said, stressing he will be traveling with "a large business delegation".
"Foreign policy today is also foreign economic policy, and foreign economic policy is an essential part of our economic policy", he added.
'Right balance of cooperation'
Friedrich Merz will be received in Beijing on Wednesday by Premier Li Qiang and then meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The German chancellor will visit Beijing's Forbidden City and German car company Mercedes-Benz. He will then travel to Hangzhou to visit Chinese robotics firm Unitree and German turbine-maker Siemens Energy.
The two-days visit will focus on "competition" and on “the right balance of cooperation”, a government spokesperson said.
The visit comes at a critical time for Germany, whose car makers are facing intense Chinese competition.
Germany has tried to maintain solid ties with China despite Beijing's refusal to criticise the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while also seeking to avoid overreliance on Chinese trade.
China reclaimed its place as Germany's biggest single trading partner last year, with exports and imports totaling 251.8 billion euros ($297 billion), Germany's Federal Statistical Office said Friday.
China already held the title from 2016-2023, but was displaced in 2024 by the United States. While trade with China grew last year, that with the U.S. dropped to 240.5 billion euros.
New global order
"Today, China is deliberately distancing itself from the United States and asserting its claim to define a new multilateral order according to its own rules. Freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and press freedom have no place in this understanding. Efforts to promote a universal commitment to human rights are rejected there as interference in internal affairs", Merz said.
In his speech, Chancellor Merz also observed that the traditional rules-based international system no longer exists, replaced by a rapidly emerging global order dominated by major powers. To navigate this shift, he argued that Europe must bolster its economic and military capabilities while pursuing new trade partnerships worldwide.