Merz's trip to China, which became Germany's largest trading partner last year, seeks to deepen decades-old economic ties with the world's second-largest economy in the wake of tariffs imposed by the United States last year. But he has also sought to address challenges in the relationship, most notably tackling the massive imbalance which saw Germany's trade deficit with China hit a record 89 billion euros.
We have very specific concerns regarding our cooperation, which we want to improve and make fair, said Merz, in an acknowledgement of the strain faced by Germany's manufacturing sector from Chinese competition.