German Chancellor Friedrich Merz concluded a high-stakes Beijing visit meeting President Xi Jinping to chart the "Year of the Horse" course. The visit included a 30-executive delegation, highlighting the economic interdependency between the world's second and third-largest economies with annual trade exceeding $200 billion and investment stock surpassing $65 billion.

Discussions focused on evolving industrial cooperation, transitioning from traditional manufacturing to digital and green technological innovation. Both leaders reaffirmed commitment to mutual respect and "win-win" results, with Germany viewing its China relationship as critical to its technology strategies through 2030.

The meeting served as a platform for advocating stable international order amid global turbulence. Chancellor Merz expressed readiness to deepen strategic partnership as Europe adopts a "looking east" strategy. President Xi proposed three pillars for future relations: being "reliable," "innovative," and "cultural" partners to safeguard international rule of law, with both nations aligning Germany's digitalization goals with China's 15th Five-Year Plan.