Germany and China: A New Chapter in Trade Relations

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz secured a promise from China to increase imports of high-quality German goods during a visit to Beijing. Merz, on his first visit to China since taking office, seeks to recalibrate relations overshadowed by a significant trade imbalance with the economic powerhouse.

While meeting President Xi Jinping, Merz emphasized the need to strengthen economic ties with China, Germany's biggest trading partner in the last year. Xi highlighted the importance of bolstering strategic communication and trust in a world increasingly marked by global interdependence.

Merz's discussions with Chinese officials touched upon concerns including an undervalued yuan and market-distorting subsidies. Both sides signed several narrowly focused agreements and expressed intentions for deeper cooperation, particularly in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and biomedicine.