German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will pay an official visit to China from Wednesday to Thursday at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang, a foreign ministry spokesperson announced on Monday.

The visit will be the conservative leader's first to China since taking office last May.

Merz's spokesman, Sebastian Hille, earlier said the German leader will meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li to discuss boosting trade and deepening cooperation.

Merz and his delegation will also visit the Forbidden City in Beijing and German car company Mercedes-Benz. He will then travel to Hangzhou to visit Chinese robotics firm Unitree and German turbine-maker Siemens Energy.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Merz at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month that Beijing hopes to bring ties "to a new level" and wants Germany to be a "stabilising anchor for strategic relations". (Xinhua, AFP)



Edited by Priscilla Ng