China will buy up to 120 aircraft from European aviation giant Airbus, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said following talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday.Following talks with top

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ended his two-day visit to China on Thursday in the tech hub of Hangzhou, identifying "challenges that we must overcome together" after meeting President Xi Jinping and announcing an Airbus deal.

China and Germany have pledged to deepen ties despite differences over Russia’s war in Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday in Beijing.

China’s play for U.S. allies has a problem: As Germany’s leader showed, Europe’s grievances with Beijing may run deeper than its frustration with Trump. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, tried to sell Germany on a future less tied to the United States and anchored instead in Chinese markets and technology.

Merz leads a business delegation to China’s tech centre seeking trade gains and deeper economic ties despite ongoing strategic tensions.

Friedrich Merz continued his first trip to China since taking office as the German Chancellor with a tour Thursday in the historical Forbidden City at the center of Beijing.

Germany is worried about a “China shock” as Chinese companies outcompete German firms in high-end sectors. Its chancellor went to Beijing to rein in an alarming trade imbalance.

Speaking after the tough opening speech at the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Walz pushed back on criticism against the Trump administration's pivot to the Western Hemisphere.

A year after his election win, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a congress of his conservative party Friday, bruised by low popularity ratings, unmet campaign promises and pressure from the far right.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has begun his inaugural visit to his country's largest trade partner and a high-tech rival as Europe's biggest economy struggles.