German Chancellor Friedrich Merz heads to Hangzhou for second day of state visit
發佈日期: 2026-02-26 21:38
TVB News
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spent the second and final day of his China tour in Beijing's Forbidden City and headed to the tech hub of Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang Province, with a large group of entrepreneurs.
Friedrich Merz is making his first official visit as chancellor to China that is aimed at resettling relations with Germany's largest trading partner.
He is also reported to be the first foreign leader received by President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang during the Spring Festival in the Year of the Horse.
Merz told reporters after their Wednesday talks that the Chinese leadership will be making a large order from European aircraft maker Airbus, including up to 120 additional aircraft.
A joint statement issued on the Xinhua news agency says both sides are willing to properly resolve their respective concerns through frank and open dialogue.
Merz continued his trip on Thursday, starting at the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to visit the time-honoured complex that had served as China's imperial palace for some 500 years.
Later in the day, Merz and his entourage travelled to the Unitree Robotics company in Hangzhou City. It is one of China's leading robotics firms and has just stunned audience with its humanoid robot performance in the Spring Festival Gala earlier this month.
Unitree's founder Wang Xingxing said in an interview that he felt deeply honoured to receive the German leader and described the visit as a window for ushering in more cooperation with German companies and promoting the global development of the intelligent robotics industry.
Merz is also scheduled to tour around a list of German businesses in China during his stay in Hangzhou.
He told reporters that he held successful meetings with Chinese leaders, but acknowledged there are still challenges in bilateral ties, including the problem of overcapacity.
In Beijing, the foreign ministry described Merz's trip as "fruitful and meaningful," which demonstrates both sides are committed to maintaining a stable and constructive bilateral relationship.
