German Chancellor Merz Concludes First China Visit, Boosting Bilateral Trade and Investment

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz paid an official visit to China from February 25 to 26—the first such trip since taking office. Upon arriving in Beijing on the 25th, he held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and jointly attended a symposium of the Sino-German Economic Advisory Committee. President Xi Jinping met with Chancellor Merz at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, and the two sides issued a joint press statement. On the 26th, Merz traveled to Hangzhou, where he visited Unitree Robotics and Siemens Energy, and engaged in exchanges with Chinese companies including Leapmotor. Wang Hao, Party Secretary of Zhejiang Province, met with the German delegation. During his visit, Merz also test-drove the new-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan and toured the Forbidden City, quoting Friedrich Schiller to express his goodwill toward Sino-German relations. On the evening his trip concluded, Merz announced he would send Germany’s Minister for Economic Affairs to China to discuss cooperation details.