Nearly eight years after his last visit, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will return to China on Tuesday for a six-day state visit.

According to the German presidency, Steinmeier will begin his trip in east China's Anhui Province, visiting a traditional village to learn about the country's rural history and Volkswagen China Technology Company in Hefei. He will then travel to Beijing for formal talks at the Great Hall of the People and meet students at Peking University.

China's Foreign Ministry said Beijing hopes to use the visit to consolidate mutual trust, deepen cooperation and pursue joint innovation, advancing bilateral relations and contributing to the steady development of China-Europe ties.

Dialogue and cooperation: Building on shared interests

Volkswagen's presence in Hefei offers a concrete example of how China-Germany cooperation is evolving. The city hosts the automaker's largest global software research and development center for intelligent connected vehicles outside its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, reflecting the role of China's innovation ecosystem in the company's global development.

The economic links between the two countries have long been visible in everyday business. Speaking at the Hamburg Summit in November 2016, when he was Germany's foreign minister, Steinmeier noted that nearly one in three containers unloaded at the Port of Hamburg came from China, while one in five Airbus aircraft assembled at Hamburg's Finkenwerder facility went to Chinese buyers. He cited these examples to illustrate the depth of bilateral economic ties and emphasized the importance of reliability and open dialogue in addressing differences and sustaining cooperation.

A decade later, the relationship remains substantial. According to Germany's Federal Statistical Office, bilateral trade in goods reached 251.8 billion euros ($296.6 billion) in 2025, up 2.1% year on year, making China Germany's largest trading partner once again.

Recent comments from the German business community also point to the value of maintaining this engagement. Oliver Oehms, executive director and board member of the German Chamber of Commerce in China – North China, noted that knowledge developed by German companies in China can flow back to their headquarters and strengthen their competitiveness. The chamber has called for policies that weigh benefits and risks and target specific sectors rather than impose blanket tariffs or general restrictions.

Business sentiment provides further context. A May 2026 survey by the German Chamber of Commerce in China found that 61% of surveyed German companies planned to increase investment in China over the following two years, the highest proportion since 2023. The findings suggest that many German businesses continue to see opportunities in China, underscoring the importance of a stable and predictable environment for cooperation.

German media have also highlighted the significance of Steinmeier's visit. In its October 25 coverage, Süddeutsche Zeitung described the bilateral relationship as multifaceted but complex, with trade ties undergoing adjustment. The visit comes as both countries seek to shape the next stage of their relationship through continued engagement.

China, for its part, has emphasized continuity in its approach to Germany. Announcing the visit on October 23, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said mutual respect and mutual trust had underpinned bilateral relations for 54 years, while mutual benefit remained key to successful cooperation. She said China hoped to use the visit to consolidate trust, deepen cooperation and pursue joint innovation.

Beyond bilateral ties: A stabilizing force for China-Europe relations

Besides advancing bilateral ties, Steinmeier's visit has an explicit European dimension. Euronews' German-language service reported that his office presented the trip as a visit undertaken both as Germany's head of state and as a European, following consultations with EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and close coordination with Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

As Europe's largest economy and a key member of the European Union, Germany plays an important role in shaping the bloc's relations with China. Issues on the table in Beijing – from industrial cooperation to market access – also feature prominently in Europe's engagement with China, giving the talks relevance beyond the two countries.

The case for sustained engagement also extends beyond trade. In a 2024 research paper, Nadine Godehardt, a senior associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, argued that Germany should intensify dialogue with China on security and the international order. She also identified possible EU-China initiatives on technology, infrastructure and security as avenues worth exploring.

Together, these perspectives highlight how constructive China-Germany relations can contribute to greater stability in China-Europe ties. Mutual respect and trust provide the basis for addressing differences, while open cooperation gives both sides a shared interest in finding workable solutions. By keeping dialogue active and translating common interests into practical progress, Beijing and Berlin can help prevent individual disputes from dominating the wider agenda and strengthen the strategic stability of China-EU relations.