German president visits China amid tensions

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is visiting China for six days, coinciding with Chancellor Friedrich Merz's trip to Asia to strengthen economic and security alliances. Steinmeier's visit includes meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang amid trade tensions. This marks the first state visit by a German president to China since 2018, focusing on political and economic relations. Merz aims to enhance ties with countries favoring open trade and address trade imbalances, while also discussing military cooperation with Japan. The German government has recently taken steps to protect supply chain security, including blocking a Chinese acquisition of a logistics company.