Berlin, February 20 (QNA) - The German government has announced that Chancellor Friedrich Merz will make an official visit to China from February 24 to 26.
In a government statement, it was said that Merz will take part in a meeting of the German-Chinese Economic Advisory Committee, and hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, focusing on bilateral relations, economic issues and security policy matters.
On the economic front, the Federal Statistical Office reported that China reclaimed its position in 2025 as Germany's top trading partner in goods, with a total trade volume of EUR 251.8 billion, overtaking the United States, which had held first place in 2024.
The office said the United States ranked second with a trade volume of EUR 240.5 billion, while the Netherlands came in third at EUR 209.1 billion.
It noted that trade with China grew by 2.1 percent compared with the previous year, while trade with the United States declined by 5.0 percent, mainly due to continued increases in imports from China alongside a drop in German exports to the United States.
The statement added that China remained, as it has since 2015, the most important source country for German imports, with German imports from China in 2025 amounting to about EUR 170.6 billion, up 8.8 percent from the previous year, while German exports to China reached EUR 81.3 billion, a decrease of 9.7 percent. (QNA)