German chancellor, president embark on parallel Asia trips

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier are set to depart on separate trips to Asia on Monday, with both seeking to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties across the region.

Steinmeier will leave in the morning for his second state visit to China, while Merz will depart a few hours later on his longest overseas trip since taking office, with stops in Singapore, Japan and South Korea.

Merz is due to return to Berlin late on Friday, with Steinmeier following shortly afterwards.

Government sources stressed that the two trips, involving very different partners, were not directly connected.

Merz seeks to reduce dependencies

Merz, who visited China in February, is seeking to diversify Germany's partnerships across Asia to reduce its dependence on individual countries.

The chancellor will be accompanied by a large, high-level business delegation.

In Singapore, Merz is scheduled to hold political talks and deliver a major foreign policy speech before travelling to Japan, a close German partner in the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized democracies and the Group of 20 (G20) major economies.

In South Korea, he will attend the German Business Community's Asia-Pacific Conference and visit the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea.

Steinmeier pushes for fairer trade with China

Steinmeier, meanwhile, will use his four-day state visit to China to press for fairer economic and trade relations that benefit both countries.

According to the president's office, this will require addressing existing imbalances in the relationship.

Steinmeier is expected to outline his position in a keynote speech at Peking University on Thursday before holding talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Friday.

China's growing role on the international stage will also feature prominently in the discussions.

Steinmeier believes Beijing's emergence as a global power must be accompanied by greater international responsibility, including using its close ties with Moscow to push for an end to Russia's war against Ukraine.