German president seeks broader view of China
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday that relations with China defy a simple "black-and-white" view as he began a five-day state visit from Anhui province, with an itinerary covering historical ties, sustainable urban development and electric mobility.
Hefei, the provincial capital, was the initial stop on his first visit to China since 2018. There, he and his wife, Elke Buedenbender, visited the former residence of Li Hongzhang, a political heavyweight of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Luogang Park and Volkswagen's research and development center.
"Relations between Germany and China are so diverse that they do not fit into a simple black-and-white framework," Steinmeier said in a post on his official social media account following the day's tour.
The visit would therefore go beyond economic hot spots and have a broader perspective, he said.
Shi Shiwei, director of the Research Center for Sino-German Economic Relations at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said that Steinmeier's varied itinerary and accompanying delegation, which included representatives from politics, business, culture, science and civil society, reflected the breadth and diversity of bilateral ties.
"Steinmeier is continuing a tradition of German leaders looking beyond the Chinese capital during their visits," Shi said.
The stop at Li's former residence offered a historical perspective on bilateral contacts. Li travelled to Germany in 1896 and met former chancellor Otto von Bismarck. At Luogang Park, built on the site of a former airport, Steinmeier viewed a water management system designed to provide flood protection and improve urban climate.
The visit to Volkswagen China Technology Company, the group's largest R&D center outside Germany, shifted the focus to the future of industrial cooperation, particularly electric mobility.
Shi said that Volkswagen's substantial investment in Hefei in recent years illustrates how longstanding economic ties between China and Germany are entering a new phase, with research and innovation taking on greater importance.
He said the president's visit was a sign of Germany's support for companies, particularly automakers, continuing to deepen their presence in China.
It also signals recognition of China's emergence as a major research and innovation center and its role in helping German companies maintain their global competitiveness, Shi said.
Economic ties remain substantial. Germany has long been China's largest trading partner in the European Union, while China was Germany's largest trading partner worldwide in 2025. Bilateral trade reached $91.68 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 10.4 percent year-on-year, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Shi said the significance of a presidential visit, however, extends beyond the value of commercial agreements.
The visit is primarily an opportunity to affirm a long-term relationship, sustain economic engagement and signal that Germany does not seek to decouple from China, he said.
Steinmeier's visit follows German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's first official visit to China in February. On Wednesday, Steinmeier is scheduled to visit Hongcun, the UNESCO World Heritage village in southern Anhui, and Huangshan Mountain before travelling to Beijing.
Steinmeier last made a state visit to China in December 2018, which also took him to Guangdong and Sichuan provinces. His engagement with the country predates his presidency, with several visits as foreign minister and participation in the fourth round of China-Germany intergovernmental consultations in 2016.
Ahead of the state visit, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning described Steinmeier as "an old friend of the Chinese people" who has actively contributed to bilateral relations.
