German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Beijing early on February 25 for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in what is his first visit to China since taking office in 2025, amid mounting pressure back home in Germany to take a harder tone towards its largest trading partner, EURACTIV reports.

Before his departure, Merz himself highlighted the importance of fair trade and acknowledged China’s elevated global standing. At the same time he noted that Beijing has risen to the ranks of one of the world’s great powers and that to reflect this, Germany’s China policy must face reality. He also said that Beijing’s voice is heard in Moscow.

At present, China remains Germany’s top trading partner, but according to reports, diplomats in Berlin are hopeful the chancellor will adopt a firmer approach when dealing with Beijing to help reinforce the government’s strategy of working to reduce its economic dependence on the world’s second-largest economy.

Boris Mijatovic, a member of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, was reported as saying the chancellor must not soften his message when he is in Beijing.

Germany’s automotive sector – a lynchpin of the economy - continues to rely heavily on the Chinese market, while Beijing has been able to increase investment in potentially sensitive areas of the German economy, including telecommunications infrastructure such as 5G networks. Much of this investment has been put in place by China’s state-controlled company Huawei.

Tensions in the relationship were evident in October when German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul cancelled a planned trip to China when it became clear that no senior Chinese official had agreed to meet him. This followed Wadephul making comments on Taiwan and China’s support for Russia in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

With Merz’s visit falling one day after the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and with Western leaders having repeatedly urged Beijing to use its influence over Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring the conflict to an end, the visit by the German Chancellor will be analysed closely in capitals across Europe.