Germany’s Merz leaves China with stronger ties as Trump trade battle looms

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has concluded his first visit to China, hailing the “good cooperation” with Beijing as Berlin seeks to rebalance ties with its biggest trading partner amid the unpredictability of the Trump administration.Merz characterised the visit as “worthwhile”, noting that China would buy up to 120 additional aircraft from Airbus SE. The company operates two assembly lines in the northern port city of Tianjin that mainly produce A320 jets for Chinese carriers.In his meetings with Chinese leaders, Merz called on Beijing to address Germany’s concerns over its trade deficit with China.Merz said the trip aimed to strengthen economic and trade relations between two of the world’s three largest economies. He added that Germany and China had the potential to unlock significant opportunities and drive economic prosperity through bilateral cooperation.However, Merz stressed that challenges remained, including Chinese overcapacity, as he wrapped up the two-day visit to China on Thursday – his first since taking office in May. He travelled with a delegation of 30 senior executives of top German companies.“Above all, there are issues relating to competition. China has high capacities, some of which are now also posing a problem for Europe because they far exceed market demand,” he said.