German President Steinmeier begins state visit to China

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier began a state visit to China on Tuesday, his first such visit since 2018.

Steinmeier’s visit, which runs through Oct. 31, comes at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The German president arrived in Hefei, the capital of eastern Anhui province, according to video footage released by Chinese state media.

He is scheduled to visit Volkswagen China Technology Company and tour a sustainable urban development project before traveling by high-speed train to Yixian county in Anhui province.

Describing Steinmeier as an “old friend of the Chinese people,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said earlier this week that the German president has “actively contributed to the development of China-Germany relations.”

In Beijing, Xi will hold talks with Steinmeier, while Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, will meet the German president to exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest, she said.

“We hope to work with the German side to take this visit as an opportunity to cement mutual trust, deepen cooperation, and seek joint innovation so as to make greater progress in bilateral relations, contribute to steady and sustained growth of China-Europe relations, and bring fresh energy to the world,” the spokeswoman said.

China and Germany established diplomatic ties 54 years ago, in 1972.

In 2025, bilateral trade between the two countries totaled $211.11 billion.