China will buy up to 120 aircraft from European aviation giant Airbus, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said following talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday.

Merz's visit comes as Berlin and Beijing seek to build on their decades-old economic ties to weather global uncertainty sparked by US President Donald Trump's tariff blitz and other erratic foreign policy moves.

China, the world's number two economy, overtook the United States last year to become Germany's biggest trade partner. At the same time, Berlin regards the Communist Party-run state as a systemic rival to the West.

Following talks with top Chinese leaders, Merz told reporters that China had agreed to purchase "up to 120" Airbus aircraft, adding that it "demonstrates how worthwhile such trips can be."

Other contracts were in the pipeline, Merz added.

Earlier in the day, Merz and Xi stressed their commitment to developing closer strategic relations, with the German leader saying he saw the trip as a "great opportunity" to boost economic ties.

Xi, in turn, told Merz he was willing to take their ties to "new levels."

He also discussed the Ukraine war with Xi, who, according to state news agency Xinhua, said diplomacy was "key to the issue."

"Xi noted the necessity of ensuring the equal participation of all parties to lay a solid foundation for peace, (and) addressing the legitimate concerns of all sides to strengthen the will for peace," Xinhua added.

Merz is the latest in a string of Western leaders courting Beijing recently, including Britain's Keir Starmer, France's Emmanuel Macron, and Canada's Mark Carney, as they recoil from the mercurial policies of Trump, who is also expected to visit from March 31.

Merz said he wished for regular consultations between his government and Beijing—interrupted by political developments in Berlin and the pandemic—to resume "very soon."

Source: Gulf News