A bird's-eye view of Hangzhou's CBD. [Photo/WeChat account: hzscfb]

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is paying an official visit to China from Feb 25 to 26, marking his first trip to the country since taking office. After meetings in Beijing, Merz will travel to Hangzhou, underscoring the city's growing role in global technology and industrial cooperation.

According to the German Federal Chancellery, Merz departed Germany on Feb 24 and attended the German-Chinese Economic Advisory Committee meeting in Beijing on Feb 25, alongside talks with Chinese leaders.

During his stay in the capital, he also visited the Forbidden City and German automaker Mercedes-Benz. He will then head to Hangzhou to visit Chinese robotics firm Unitree Robotics and German energy technology company Siemens Energy.

Around 30 senior executives from leading German enterprises are accompanying the delegation, highlighting strong business interest in China's innovation landscape. Unitree Robotics, known for its rapid advances in humanoid robotics, represents a new generation of Hangzhou tech companies gaining international attention.

Over the past year, Hangzhou's presence on the global technology map has risen sharply. A group of emerging AI firms — often dubbed the city's "Six Little Dragons" — including DeepSeek, Unitree Robotics and BrainCo, have strengthened Hangzhou's position in the global AI race. During the 2026 Spring Festival Gala broadcast by China Central Television, Unitree's humanoid robots performed intricate martial arts routines, drawing extensive overseas media coverage.

International outlets such as CNBC have described Hangzhou as an "AI cluster city", noting its ability to achieve "more with less" through an efficient innovation ecosystem.

Building on more than a decade of growth in the digital economy, Hangzhou is accelerating its push to become a leading hub for AI innovation. The city has developed strengths in open-source AI models, embodied intelligence, advanced computing infrastructure and industrial integration.

From the German chancellor's itinerary to sustained global media attention, Hangzhou is emerging as a key node in the evolving international AI landscape — an innovation-driven city gaining strategic global relevance.

Humanoid robots developed by Unitree Robotics perform at the 2026 Spring Festival Gala broadcast by China Central Television. [Photo/CCTV]