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.

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.

Photo: VCG German Chancellor Friedrich Merz took a special test ride in the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class on Thursday, personally experiencing the L2 Urban and Highway Navigation System, jointly developed by the German auto company and Chinese technology company Momenta.

By Andreas Rinke, Liz Lee and Colleen Howe BEIJING, Feb 25 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for partnership and dialogue with China on a visit to Beijing aimed at resetting relations that have been clouded by a yawning trade deficit with the world's second-largest economy.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz today welcomed the opportunity in Beijing to expand economic cooperation with China, but said that Germany’s growing trade deficit over the past five years “is not healthy” and needs to be addressed.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit China as Germany worries about rising Chinese competition and Beijing’s stance on Ukraine.

The German chancellor is trying to set a new tone with Beijing to parry pressure from the U.S. But years of deep economic ties make that difficult.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s trip will test his ability to address tensions between the countries, at a time of strain between Europe and Washington.