OnThursdayafternoon,GermanChancellorFriedrichMerzwalkedintoaleadingChineseroboticscompanyinHangzhou,Zhejiangprovince,foratourandaroboticperformancebeforewrappingupatwo-dayChinavisitthatwasbothfruitfulandsignificant.

AtUnitree,Merzwatchedthesamemartialartsperformancebyquadrupedrobotsthatwasshowcasedduringthe2026SpringFestivalGala,whichwaslivestreamedtohundredsofmillionsofviewersathomeandabroad.Merzshowedinterestinthecompany'srobotichandsandquadrupedrobots,learningabouttheirapplicationsanddevelopment.

Theone-hourtour,partofMerz'sfirsttriptoChinasinceassumingofficeinMaylastyear,demonstratedthetwocountries'shareddesiretoseizenewopportunitiesforfuturedevelopment.

MerzwasthefirstforeignleaderreceivedbyChinaintheYearoftheHorse.UponhisarrivalonWednesday,hewroteinChineseinasocialmediapost:"BerlinandBeijingarenearly7,500kilometersapart.Formanyyears,wehavebeenveryhappytobridgethisdistance.Forme,itisveryimportanttomaintainanddeepenourdiplomaticandeconomicrelations.Toachievethisgoal,weneedopenchannelsofdialogue."

PresidentXiJinpingandPremierLiQiangmetseparatelyandheldtalkswithMerzonWednesday.Togetherwithover60ChineseandGermanbusinessleaders,MerzandLialsoattendedasymposiumoftheChina-Germanyeconomicadvisorycommittee.Thetwocountriesinkedanumberofcooperativeagreementsingreentransition,customs,sportsandmedia.Theyalsoissuedajointmediastatementinwhichthetwosidesagreedtoproperlyresolveeachother'sconcernsthroughdialogue.

Speakingtoreportersattheendofhistrip,Merzsaidhewitnessedandsupportedthelaunchofnewbusinesspartnershipsduringthevisit.

"Forme,itwasimportanttogainafirsthandimpressionofthecountry,includingthroughdiscussionswithgovernmentleadersandbusinessrepresentatives,"hesaid,notingthathewasimpressedbyChina'shighleveloftechnologicaldevelopment.

Forexample,hesaidhewasimpressedby"Mercedes-Benz'sadvancesinautonomousdrivinginChina,Unitree'sprogressinrobotics,andcompaniesproducinginChinafortheglobalmarket".

SiemensCEORolandBusch,whowasamongseniorexecutivesfromabout30leadingGermancompaniesaccompanyingMerz,saidHangzhouisahighlyinnovativecity—"perhapstheTechValleyofChina".

BuschnotedthatChinaisseekingtoboostproductivitythroughautomationanddigitalization,areasinwhichSiemensholdsstrongglobaladvantages—inindustrialsoftwareandautomation.

As2026marksthestartofChina's15thFive-YearPlan(2026-30)period,theworld'stwomajoreconomiesareexpectedtofostergreatersynergybetweentheplanandGermany'sdevelopmentstrategies,inordertoachievemutuallybeneficialcooperationathigherstandards,analystssaid.

MichaelSchumann,chairmanoftheGermanFederalAssociationforEconomicDevelopmentandForeignTrade,saidChina'srapidprogressinroboticsandindustrialartificialintelligence—visibleduringMerz'svisittoUnitree—createssignificantopportunitiestocombineGermanstrengthsinprecisionengineering,automationandindustrialsoftwarewithChina'sscaleandspeedoftechnologicaldeployment.

"Withcontinueddialogueandpracticalcooperationinfutureindustries,Sino-Germanbusinesstiescancontributemeaningfullytoglobaltechnologicalprogressandsustainableindustrialtransformation,forthebenefitofpeopleinbothourcountriesandbeyond,"Schumannsaid.

FengZhongping,directoroftheInstituteofEuropeanStudiesattheChineseAcademyofSocialSciences,saidMerz'svisitshowsareturntoapragmaticandrationalapproachinGermany'sChinapolicy.

"Merz'svisitsentasignalthatastheworld'sthird-largesteconomy,GermanyseesbroadspaceforcooperationwithChina,thesecond-largesteconomy,andisseekingtoexpandcooperationgroundedinmutualbenefit,"Fengsaid.

HeaddedthatGermanofficialsandbusinessleadersarewillingtobetterunderstandChina'supcoming15thFive-YearPlan,includingitsdevelopmentprioritiesandstrategicfocusareas,inordertoidentifynewopportunitiesforcollaboration.

JinLing,directoroftheDepartmentforGlobalGovernanceandInternationalOrganizationStudiesattheChinaInstituteofInternationalStudies,saidMerz'svisitcarriessignificanceagainstthebackdropofdebatewithinEuropeoverhowtoapproachChina.

Byemphasizingpartnershipandacooperativetone,Merzhassentasignalaimedatfilteringout"noise"andexternalinterference,shesaid.

MerzisthelatestinastringofWesternleaderstovisitBeijingwithinjustafewmonths,followingvisitsbyFrenchPresidentEmmanuelMacron,IrishTaoiseach,orprimeminister,MichealMartin,CanadianPrimeMinisterMarkCarney,FinnishPrimeMinisterPetteriOrpoandBritishPrimeMinisterKeirStarmer.

"ThesevisitsreflectrecognitionofChina'sglobalroleandtheopportunitiespresentedbyitsmarket.MissingoutontheChinesemarketwouldmeanmissingoutonopportunities,"Jinsaid.

XingYiinLondonandZhangZhouxianginBrusselscontributedtothisstory.