German chancellor ends trip to China by attending robot boxing match

The German Chancellor wrapped up his visit to China by attending a robot boxing match on Thursday (26 February). Concluding his first official trip to Beijing, Friedrich Merz paid a visit to Unitree, one of the world's leading robot manufacturers. There, he watched a boxing match between two 1.30-meter-tall robots. He also witnessed a kung fu demonstration with the humanoid bots. Speaking at the conclusion of the trip, Mr Merz said he would return home with “deep impressions” and that he intended to strengthen Germany’s relationship with China. “We have a good working relationship with China. However, there are also some challenges that we must overcome together,” he said, before citing the overcapacity of Chinese industry as a problem for the German economy.