German President Steinmeier targets China trip as Berlin sharpens trade stance

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier plans to visit China in the coming weeks, marking the first official trip to the country since 2018, despite growing tensions in trade relations, according to sources familiar with the situation. The visit comes as Chancellor Friedrich Merz heads to Japan and South Korea before the end of October.

As the head of state, Steinmeier represents Germany internationally, though real political power lies with the chancellor and government. The trip will be closely watched for further signs of strain in the Sino-German relationship. In recent weeks, Berlin has adopted a more assertive stance towards China over trade concerns, fearing that German manufacturing jobs could be lost to intense Chinese competition.

Chancellor Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron signed a joint paper calling for the creation of a new trade weapon that could exclude countries, including China, from the EU single market if they violate trade rules. Steinmeier, who has shifted from supporting Ostpolitik, a policy of openness to Russia and Eastern powers, to advocating for a calibrated reduction of asymmetries in market access, has called for China to use its influence to end the war in Ukraine.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Steinmeier spoke to Chinese leaders, including President Xi in December 2022 and Premier Li Qiang in June 2023, urging China to help bring the conflict to a close. Recently, the German government blocked a major logistics company's sale to a Chinese state-owned entity due to security concerns, fearing it could weaken Germany's supply chains. Steinmeier's visit to China this month will likely involve discussions on these evolving policies.