German Chancellor Merkel visits China on the 25th; Chinese side introduces related arrangements

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce Answers Questions on China-Germany Economic and Trade Cooperation

A reporter asked: German Chancellor Merz will make an official visit to China from February 25 to 26. What activities are planned in the economic and trade fields, and what outcomes are expected? How do you evaluate the current state and future prospects of China-Germany economic and trade relations?

Answer: Over the more than 50 years since China and Germany established diplomatic relations, bilateral economic and trade cooperation has continued to deepen. Germany has always been China’s largest trading partner and source of foreign investment in Europe. The two countries’ industries are deeply integrated, and their cooperation foundation is continuously strengthening. In recent years, China-Germany trade volume has remained above $200 billion, with bilateral investment stock exceeding $65 billion, accounting for nearly one-quarter of China’s total trade with the EU.

German Chancellor Merz will lead a high-level economic and trade delegation to China. About 30 top executives from leading German companies in automotive, chemical, biopharmaceutical, machinery manufacturing, circular economy, and other advantageous fields will accompany him, demonstrating Germany’s strong willingness to deepen bilateral economic and trade relations. China attaches great importance to economic and trade cooperation with Germany and is actively preparing for activities such as the China-Germany Economic Advisory Committee meeting, to provide advice for enterprises on both sides and build a platform for communication and cooperation.

This year marks the beginning of the “14th Five-Year Plan.” We welcome German enterprises to seize new opportunities brought by China’s high-level opening-up, continue to strengthen cooperation in traditional fields, and explore potential in emerging areas such as clean energy, embodied intelligence, biotechnology, and industrial digitalization. We aim to turn “cooperation opportunities” into tangible “cooperation results.” China is willing to work with Germany to enhance understanding and mutual trust through dialogue, support free trade, uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system, and promote high-quality development of China-Germany economic and trade cooperation through practical actions, playing a stabilizing and advancing role in China-Germany and China-EU relations.

(Source: Ministry of Commerce website)