Beijing, February 26, 2026: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday voiced strong support for Europe’s efforts to enhance strategic autonomy and strength, calling on China and Europe to work together as partners amid accelerating global change.
During a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is on an official visit to China, President Xi said the world is experiencing changes unseen in a century at an increasingly rapid pace, making cooperation and collective responses to global challenges more essential than ever.
Xi stressed that China and Germany should uphold the central role of the United Nations, reaffirm its leading position, and take the lead in safeguarding multilateralism. He also underscored the importance of practicing international rule of law, defending free trade, and promoting solidarity and coordination among nations.
China, Xi said, supports Europe in its pursuit of greater autonomy and strength, and hopes the European side will move in the same direction. He called on both sides to adhere to their positioning as strategic partners and to uphold openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, in order to inject new momentum into China–Europe relations and make greater contributions to global peace and development.
The Chinese leader noted that China and Germany, as the world’s second- and third-largest economies, share a relationship that goes beyond bilateral interests and carries significant implications for Europe and the wider international community.
Against the backdrop of what he described as the most profound transformations in the international landscape since the end of World War II, Xi said that growing global turbulence makes it all the more important for Beijing and Berlin to enhance strategic communication, deepen mutual trust, and work together for fresh progress in the China–Germany all-round strategic partnership.
