German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit China next week for talks with President Xi Jinping centred on trade between the top EU economy and the Asian giant, Berlin said. During the two-day visit, Merz will also visit Beijing's Forbidden City and German car company Mercedes-Benz. Merz said Friday he was going to China in part because export-dependent Germany needs "economic relations all over the world". Another point of contention will be the Ukraine war, where Germany has been a strong backer of Kyiv since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion four years ago next week. AdvertisementChina and Russia are close partners, and while Beijing has said it takes a neutral stance on the Ukraine war, it has never condemned the invasion.

Source: The Local February 20, 2026 14:56 UTC