Merz heads to Asia as Germany seeks to diversify trade ties

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz left Monday for visits to Singapore, Japan and South Korea this week while president Frank-Walter Steinmeier heads to China.

Europe’s top economy has been seeking to diversify its strategic and trade links in light of the US becoming a less reliable ally and China’s growth as an economic rival.

“Merz’s Asia trip shows Berlin is “very systematically and strategically expanding its partnership with the nations of the Indo-Pacific,” said a government source.

The chancellor, joined by a large business delegation, was due to meet Singapore’s prime minister Lawrence Wong on Tuesday and Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday.

On Thursday the German leader meets South Korea’s president Lee Jae Myung, and on Friday he is to visit the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea.

Steinmeier, the head of state, will deliver a speech at Peking University on Thursday and the following day meet Chinese president Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

“The focus of the president’s trip is on the diverse and complex relations between Germany and China as well as the challenges they present,” his office said in a statement.

China is Germany’s top economic partner in Asia and has long been a major investment destination, but is also seen as a growing competitor and systemic rival with close ties to Russia.

Germany views the democracies of Japan and South Korea and the business-friendly city-state of Singapore as like-minded partners, according to experts.