Overview
- The German chancellor met President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing during a two-day trip backed by a 30-strong business delegation from firms including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Siemens and Bayer.
- Talks produced only a small set of cooperation documents—about five—on non-core areas such as climate and animal disease prevention, falling short of major commercial or political breakthroughs.
- Merz called for a "balanced, reliable, regulated and fair" partnership, urging fewer barriers for foreign firms, action on industrial overcapacity in sectors like electric vehicles and solar, and more Chinese investment in Germany.
- Beijing emphasized opposition to protectionism and economic coercion and responded to calls on Ukraine by reiterating support for dialogue, with Xi urging deeper strategic communication and mutual trust with Berlin.
- Official data show China was Germany’s largest trading partner in 2025, with imports from China up 8.8% to €170.6 billion and German exports down 9.7% to €81.3 billion, as Berlin and Beijing pledged to keep talking and Merz prepares for a Washington visit in early March.