Friedrich Merz arrived today in the Chinese city of Hangzhou for the final stage of his official visit, focused on technology, after having advocated deeper economic cooperation the previous day in Beijing.
Merz traveled to the capital of the eastern province of Zhejiang after a morning in Beijing, where he visited the Forbidden City and facilities of the automaker Mercedes-Benz, before heading to one of China’s main technology hubs, home to e-commerce giants such as Alibaba.
In Hangzhou, the chancellor is expected to meet with local authorities and visit companies linked to technological innovation and robotics, as part of an agenda focused on sectors considered strategic for industrial and digital cooperation between the two countries.
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Merz is in China accompanied by a delegation of around 30 major German companies, including Volkswagen, BMW, Siemens, and Bayer.
Oliver Oehms, executive director and board member of the German Chamber of Commerce in North and Northeast China, told the newspaper 21st Century Business Herald that the delegation “well reflects the overall structure of German business in China,” combining major corporations with a significant number of medium-sized companies, known in Germany as “hidden champions.”
According to Oehms, compared with visits by previous chancellors, “the size of the delegation, with around 30 companies, is larger and the level of their leadership is also higher,” demonstrating the importance the business sector attaches to the trip.
As for the outcomes of the visit, he said they “should not be assessed solely by the number of agreements signed,” but rather by the ability to deepen and elevate bilateral trade relations, adding that the trip could serve as a “reset button” to open a new phase of cooperation between China and Germany.
On Wednesday in Beijing, Merz met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who said China supports an “independent and self-reliant” Europe, against a backdrop of trade tensions between Beijing and the European Union.
The Chinese leader argued that both sides should act as “reliable partners” and called for preserving the stability of industrial and supply chains, at a time when Germany is facing internal economic pressures and a record budget deficit that has reignited political debate in Berlin.
Before meeting Xi, Merz also held talks with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang. Following that meeting, the two sides witnessed the signing of five agreements in areas including climate cooperation, prevention of animal diseases, and trade in poultry products.
