German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is using a trip to Asia to deepen Germany's partnership with Singapore, DIE ZEIT reports. The visit, reported on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, places economic cooperation at the centre of the chancellor's agenda.
According to BILD, the Singapore stop focused on business deals, and Merz was honoured with an orchid named "Vanda Friedrich Merz" during the visit. FAZ also reported on the orchid honour. DIE ZEIT's headline framed the stop as an expansion of the two countries' partnership.
Merz is also pushing for a broad free trade agreement with the Pacific region, according to SZ.de. Tagesschau reported that the chancellor and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier were travelling in Asia at the same time, describing the region as a boom area for German interests.
The twin trips put both of Germany's top offices in Asia simultaneously, a signal of how much weight Berlin places on the region. The reports did not give further details on the substance of the Singapore agreements or on the status of the proposed Pacific trade pact.
What to watch next: whether Berlin sets out concrete terms for the Pacific free trade push, and what the Singapore business deals signed during the visit amount to.