The German chancellor announced this Wednesday in Beijing a Chinese order of “up to 120” aircraft from the European aerospace manufacturer Airbus, aligning with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s desire for new progress in bilateral relations.
On the first day of his visit to China, Germany’s main trading partner—now increasingly seen in the country as a dangerous competitor to “Made in Germany”—Friedrich Merz did not provide details about the order, such as the aircraft models involved, but presented it as illustrative of the potential of the relationship with China.
“We have just learned that the Chinese leadership will order more aircraft from Airbus. This involves up to 120 additional planes,” he told journalists after meetings held throughout the day with Chinese officials
Read more about this topic: German chancellor calls for a “fairer” relationship with China (with video)
Merz’s announcement comes after Xi Jinping told the German chancellor during a meeting in Beijing that he expects “new progress” in bilateral relations.
“It is a pleasure to work with you to allow the Sino-German comprehensive strategic partnership to continuously achieve new progress,” Xi told Merz.
Xi, who has been receiving foreign leaders in recent months, reiterated his desire for “new advances” in bilateral relations.
“The more turbulent and complex the world becomes, the more important it is for China and Germany to strengthen strategic communication,” he stressed, as Merz arrived accompanied by a large delegation of German business leaders.
In meetings with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and later with Xi, the German head of government advocated for a “fairer” form of cooperation with China and for open discussions on areas of divergence previously identified ahead of the visit.
These include the growing trade imbalance in China’s favor, distortions of competition, restrictions on market access, and the security of rare earth supplies—a sector in which China holds a dominant position—as well as state subsidies for Chinese companies and the exchange rate of the Chinese currency.
“There are challenges, but the framework in which we are operating is remarkably good,” Merz assured Xi during their meeting.
Merz is making his first visit to China since taking office in 2025. Following leaders from France, Canada, and the United Kingdom, he is the latest to travel to Beijing at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump has shaken the established order through the imposition of tariffs and the revision of traditional alliances.
“China has become unavoidable for everyone,” Merz said before departing on Tuesday.
Xi presents the country as a reliable and consistent partner and a defender of multilateralism and free trade. China has also engaged in a tough commercial and diplomatic battle with the United States under Trump, whose visit to Beijing is scheduled for the end of March.
Europe’s largest economy, heavily dependent on exports, has felt the effects of these global tensions in recent months. Germany is also facing growing pressure from Chinese competition—both within China, where German industry has long sold various products, and in other markets, including Germany itself, particularly in the automotive and high-tech sectors.
Like its EU partners, Germany has expressed concern over the advance of Chinese electric vehicles and the redirection of Chinese production surpluses toward Europe.
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“We have very concrete concerns about our cooperation, which we want to improve and make fairer,” Merz told the Chinese prime minister.
Merz aims to pursue a policy of reducing dependencies and risks in relation to China, without harming Germany.
On Thursday, Merz will attend a presentation of autonomous vehicles by Mercedes before traveling to Hangzhou, a major technology hub, where he will visit the robotics group Unitree and the energy company Siemens Energy
