Germany’s Merz to visit China next week: government

BERLIN: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit China next week, arriving on Wednesday for talks with President Xi Jinping, a government spokesman said.
“The chancellor will be welcomed with military honors in Beijing by Prime Minister Li Qiang,” the spokesman said Friday.
“In the late afternoon, the chancellor will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for talks and dinner.”
Merz will discuss a number of topics, including security, geopolitics, ‌trade ‌and human ‌rights, the spokesperson ⁠said.
The spokesperson ‌added that ‌the ‌war in Ukraine is likely to be ‌discussed in Merz’s talks, ⁠and a ⁠business delegation will accompany the chancellor, without giving further details.