India, Feb. 26 -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Wednesday for deepening ties with China, while pushing for fairer trade rules between the two countries and seeking Chinese help on Ukraine. Merz, who arrived in Beijing late morning for a whirlwind two-day visit, acknowledged differences during meetings with the country's top leaders and called for collaboration "wherever possible." "We have a few issues that we need to talk about today in the course of my visit," he told Chinese Premier Li Qiang. "But I think there is also great potential for further growth of both our economies."

Both Europe and China have been buffeted by US President Donald Trump's tariffs, and Europe further by his demands that it take more responsibility...