On February 23, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that German Chancellor Merz will pay an official visit to China from February 25 to 26 at the invitation of the Chinese side. This marks Chancellor Merz's first visit to China since taking office and represents a significant high-level interaction between China and Germany in the new year.

Last week, Chancellor Merz posted on the social platform X, stating, "May the Year of the Horse inject strength and bring new momentum to German-Chinese relations," and expressed his anticipation of soon embarking on his visit to China. This statement is seen as a positive signal from Germany regarding further deepening bilateral relations.

According to the itinerary published on the German Federal Chancellery website, Chancellor Merz will depart from Germany on the 24th. On the 25th, he will attend the German-China Economic Advisory Committee symposium in Beijing and hold meetings with Chinese leaders. During his stay in Beijing, he will also visit the Forbidden City and the German automaker Mercedes-Benz. Subsequently, Chancellor Merz will travel to Hangzhou to visit the Chinese robotics company Unitree Robotics and the German company Siemens Energy, gaining firsthand insight into the progress of cooperation between Chinese and German enterprises in areas such as technological innovation and green energy.

On the 23rd, a European affairs expert told the Global Times that this is a belated but highly significant visit. Recent changes in the international situation have led Germany and the Merz government to gradually realize the necessity of further elevating the importance of relations with China. For Chancellor Merz personally, this visit to China also serves as a crucial opportunity for updating his understanding, helping him to more comprehensively and deeply grasp the current realities and development potential of Sino-German and Sino-European relations.

This visit will further consolidate the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership and promote practical cooperation between the two countries in areas such as economy and trade, technology, and green transformation to deepen and solidify continuously.