China has overtaken the United States as Germany’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching €251bn in 2025.
New data showed a 2.2% rise in trade with China, while trade with the US fell 5% to €240bn.
Friedrich Merz will travel to Beijing for his first official visit as chancellor.
He will meet Li Qiang and later hold talks with Xi Jinping.
The agenda includes Ukraine, human rights and economic relations.
Germany imported €170.6bn in goods from China and exported €81.3bn.
Tariffs introduced by Donald Trump are seen as one factor behind the decline in US trade.
German industry remains deeply tied to the Chinese market.
Carmakers such as Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz depend heavily on Chinese sales and production.
Business leaders will join Merz to push for continued cooperation.
The shift comes as the EU tries to reduce reliance on China for electric vehicles and critical raw materials.
Germany’s need to protect its automotive sector has made its stance on tariffs more cautious.
