BEIJING: China and Germany aim to deepen cooperation, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in Beijing on Wednesday, as Merz began a visit focused on resetting ties amid a widening trade imbalance.
Merz emphasized that Germany values its extensive economic exchanges with China, its largest trading partner last year, while stressing the importance of fair cooperation and open communication.”We have very specific concerns regarding our cooperation, which we want to improve and make fair,” Merz said, highlighting the challenge of redefining an economic relationship increasingly unfavourable to German interests.
Li called on both sides to work together to safeguard multilateralism and free trade, in a likely reference to the U.S.-China trade tensions.”China and Germany, as two of the world’s largest economies, should strengthen our confidence in cooperation, jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade, and strive to build a more just and fair global governance system,” Li said.
Despite their calls for deeper engagement, the agreements signed after the meeting were narrowly focused on areas peripheral to both economies. The five documents covered efforts in climate change and green transition, animal disease prevention and poultry protocols, and sports collaborations in football and table tennis.
The business-focused latter half of Merz’s visit could see additional deals, as he is accompanied by a delegation of 30 firms, including top carmakers Volkswagen and BMW, which are feeling pressure from Chinese competition.
China is seeking to position itself as a reliable economic partner, in contrast to the United States, as Europe addresses supply chain vulnerabilities and concerns over growing dependence on China.
