Overview
- Government officials said Merz will be welcomed with military honours by Premier Li Qiang before talks and a dinner with Xi Jinping in Beijing.
- The two-day itinerary includes Beijing and Hangzhou, with stops at the Forbidden City, Mercedes-Benz, Chinese robotics firm Unitree, and Siemens Energy.
- Officials described the trip’s theme as “competition” and said Merz will address human rights, trade practices, critical minerals, supply chains, and the Ukraine war.
- Merz will travel with a delegation of business leaders, though Berlin has not yet identified which companies will participate.
- China regained status as Germany’s largest single trading partner in 2025 with €251.8 billion in trade, highlighting the stakes for German industries facing stronger Chinese competition.