Germany's Merz begins first China visit focused on trade

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has launched his first official visit to China, focusing on recalibrating trade relations and strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Speaking in Beijing on Wednesday, Merz told Chinese Premier Li Qiang that Germany intends to build on its longstanding economic ties with China while ensuring fairer and more transparent cooperation, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.

“We have very specific concerns regarding our cooperation, which we want to improve and make fair,” Merz said, acknowledging the pressure faced by Germany’s manufacturing sector amid rising competition from Chinese firms.

Li welcomed the German leader at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People shortly after his arrival and emphasized the importance of defending multilateralism and free trade. His remarks were widely seen as a reference to tariff policies pursued by U.S. President Donald Trump, which have unsettled global trade flows.

“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,” Li said.

During the talks, both sides signed several agreements and memorandums covering areas such as climate change and food security.

Merz stressed the shared global responsibilities of both nations and highlighted what he described as “great potential for further growth.” He also underscored the need to maintain open communication channels and announced that several German ministers are expected to visit China in the coming months to advance bilateral discussions.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev