German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit China as Germany worries about rising Chinese competition and Beijing’s stance on Ukraine. Merz arrives in Beijing on Wednesday for a two-day trip. He meets Premier Li Qiang and President Xi Jinping. He also plans to travel Thursday to a Mercedes-Benz site and then to the city of Hangzhou. Merz will bring business leaders who want stronger sales in China. But German companies face tough pressure from Chinese electric car makers and other manufacturers. Germany wants China to reduce trade barriers. Berlin also has pushed for so-called de-risking from China for key supplies like rare earths.
BEIJING (AP) — The first official trip to China by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz comes as his country’s manufacturers face increasing pressure from Chinese competitors and as U.S. President Donald Trump shakes up a post-World War II global order t… [1296 chars]
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Published: 2026-02-24T09:12:23Z
Credit: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
