Merz Visits China, Balancing Ties With Xi and the United States

Chancellor Friedrich Merz will make his first trip to China since taking office last year, traveling to Beijing and Hangzhou to test a new vision for Europe: reduce dependence on both China and the United States without cutting ties entirely. The visit will force him to manage tensions with Beijing over trade, Taiwan, Ukraine and other issues while avoiding further escalation.

German officials say Mr. Merz will try to minimize conflict with China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, but also press on sore spots, notably Chinese economic policies that hurt German manufacturers and Beijing’s backing for President Vladimir V. Putin. He plans to stress that Germany and Europe are strengthening their military defense and economic competitiveness while reiterating that he still sees the United States as Germany’s more natural ally.

On the campaign trail with his party he said China was “claiming the right to define a new multilateral order according to its own rules.

China, Beijing, Hangzhou

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