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President Xi Jinping Meets With German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
On the afternoon of February 25, 2026, President Xi Jinping met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is on an official visit to China, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.
President Xi Jinping stressed that as changes not seen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace, countries should tackle challenges together and pursue a shared future. China and Germany should uphold the central position of the U.N., reaffirm its leading role, and take the lead in safeguarding multilateralism, practicing international rule of law, defending free trade, and advocating for solidarity and coordination. China supports Europe in seeking to increase autonomy and strength, and hopes the European side can work with China toward the same direction, adhere to the positioning of strategic partners, and uphold openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, so as to deliver greater growth in China-Europe relations, and make bigger contributions to world peace and development.
Chancellor Merz said that Germany and China shoulder important responsibilities in jointly addressing global challenges. The German side looks forward to working with China to enhance coordination, jointly adhere to free trade and reject protectionism. To pursue reliable and sustained economic and trade cooperation serves the interests of both the EU and China, and also contributes to the stability and prosperity of the world. Germany supports the EU and China in enhancing dialogue and cooperation.
Symposium of the China-Germany economic advisory committee
Premier Li Qiang and Chancellor Merz attend a symposium of the China-Germany economic advisory committee in Beijing on Wednesday.
Li called for closer cooperation between China and Germany amid growing instability and uncertainty in the global economy, highlighting that the partnership of the two major world economies will not only promote their own development, but also inject momentum into world economic growth.
Merz said that Germany and China are important economic and trade partners for each other. Germany supports German companies in investing and deepening their presence in the Chinese market, and it is ready to continuously improve the business environment and welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in Germany.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visits Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Chinese humanoid robot company Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on Thursday afternoon, where he watched the robot product displays and robot performances such as "WuBot," (the robot martial arts performance) and robot fights.
China Brief
Xi chairs CPC leadership meeting to discuss draft 15th Five-Year Plan and government work report
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday chaired a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to discuss a draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development and a draft government work report to be submitted by the State Council to the upcoming annual session of the national legislature for review.
The meeting stressed the need to develop new quality productive forces in light of local conditions and focus on keeping employment, businesses, markets and expectations stable. It urged efforts to effectively upgrade the quality and appropriately expand the quantity of the economy, and achieve a good start to the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
It also called for continuing to deepen reform in key areas and further expanding high-standard opening up, as well as accelerating the comprehensive green transition.
China's trillion-yuan GDP club expands while investment in public welfare keep growing
In 2025, Dalian and Wenzhou, each with a GDP exceeding one trillion yuan ($0.14 trillion), entered China's trillion-yuan GDP club — bringing the total number of Chinese cities at this economic threshold to 29. These remarkable economic achievements are underpinned by a steady increase in public welfare spending.
China's manned space program releases major tasks ahead
China is scheduled to launch two crewed missions and one cargo spacecraft mission for its space station operation in 2026.
Currently, China's space station is operating stably in orbit with sound performance. Since entering the application and development phase, China's manned space program has successfully completed six crewed missions, four cargo resupply missions, and seven spacecraft return missions.
China is targeting a crewed lunar landing by 2030. The development of major flight products, including the Long March-10 carrier rocket, the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft, and the Lanyue lunar lander, is proceeding smoothly. (click to read more)
Weekly Quote
No country is in a position to lecture others on human rights, and no model can claim to be superior.
Human rights must not be an ornament for democracy, nor a cover for hegemonism.
To live a happy life is the greatest human right, and development holds the key to achieving it.
The promotion and protection of human rights must be done through actions, not rhetoric.
— Remarks by Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the High-Level Segment of the 61st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Spring scenery unfolds across China
🔹 Tourists take photos of flowers at the Ming Dynasty city wall ruins park in Beijing, capital of China.
🔹 Tourists visiting the Youzhou ancient town in Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.
🔹 A tourist train running past rapeseed flower fields in Luoping County in Qujing, southwest China's Yunnan Province.
🔹 Tourists taking a boat on the Wanquan River in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province.
🔹 Tourists visiting the Slender West Lake scenic spot in Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of China, except those from the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Chinese Mission to the EU and other Chinese governmental websites.
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Editor: GU Wenjie
