German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) opened his two-day inaugural visit to China by highlighting "great potential for further growth" in both economies. For this potential to be realised, both sides must "speak openly with each other," he said on Wednesday in Beijing, where he was received with full military honours by Premier Li Qiang. Against the backdrop of the ongoing tariff dispute with the United States, Li called on Germany to work together with China to safeguard global free trade.
From the German government's perspective, the central topics of the visit are the dependency of German companies on raw materials and rare earths from China, as well as the question of fair competitive conditions on the Chinese market. Merz is accompanied by a 30-member business delegation. US tariff policy, the Ukraine war and other international conflicts are also expected to feature in the political discussions.
"We bear joint responsibility in the world and we should live up to that responsibility together," Merz stressed. In the economic sphere, Germany has "very concrete concerns that relate to our cooperation and that we want to improve and shape fairly," he said. In his opening statement at the meeting with Premier Li in the Great Hall of the People, Merz announced a series of further visits by German government representatives to China. "We will have an intensive dialogue over the course of the year, including at the level of various specialist ministers," he said.
Both sides signed five agreements and declarations of intent on Wednesday. Among them was a declaration on the continuation of the dialogue and cooperation mechanism on climate change and green transformation. A protocol was also signed governing the import of heat-treated poultry meat products from Germany, covering the export of chicken feet to China. An agreement on the prevention and control of animal diseases was also concluded.
In addition, two agreements on sports broadcasting rights were signed with China Media Group, one with the German Football League (DFL) and another with the German Table Tennis Association. Further agreements by companies travelling with the delegation were also planned. Li called on Germany to "jointly protect multilateralism and free trade." In an apparent reference to the policies of US President Donald Trump, the Premier noted that "unilateralism and protectionism have gained ground in some countries and regions and have even become predominant."
Merz's visit is the latest in a series of trips by Western politicians and traditional US allies who have in recent months sought to court Beijing's favour. Among them have been British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. On Wednesday afternoon, Merz is also set to meet President Xi Jinping at the Chinese government's state guesthouse, followed by a joint dinner. Merz is expected to speak to the press afterwards at 19:40 local time, 12:40 CET.
On Thursday, Merz will first visit the Forbidden City in Beijing before attending a presentation of autonomously driving vehicles by German automaker Mercedes. He will then travel on to the technology hub of Hangzhou, where following a midday meeting with the Party Secretary of Zhejiang Province, Wang Hao, two company visits are planned, including to Chinese robotics manufacturer Unitree and to a Siemens Energy production facility for high-voltage power and circuit breakers.
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