By Andreas Rinke, Liz Lee and Colleen Howe BEIJING, Feb 25 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for partnership and dialogue with China on a visit to Beijing aimed at resetting relations that have been clouded by a yawning trade deficit with the world's second-largest economy.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz concludes his two-day trip to China on Thursday with a visit to the Forbidden City in Beijing and company visits in the southern Chinese high-tech metropolis of Hangzhou.

Merz’s concern was on display at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month. He asked representatives of German start-ups to air any concerns in front of defence minister Boris Pistorius and Jens Plötner, the minister responsible for weapons procurement, according to two participants.

Germany is worried about a “China shock” as Chinese companies outcompete German firms in high-end sectors. Its chancellor went to Beijing to rein in an alarming trade imbalance.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz asked China to influence Moscow in the context of resolving Russia's war in Ukraine, according to Associated Press.

During his campaign, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signaled a radical change from previous leaders’ cheerleading for trade with China: He warned business chiefs against bigger investments there and not to count on government help if things went wrong.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday that the U.S.’s role as a leader on the world stage is “lost” and urged President Trump to repair the transatlantic relationship to challenge threats from China and Russia.

"International order based on rights and rules is currently being destroyed," said the German Chancellor.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday called on the Chinese government to use its influence in Moscow to end Russia's war in Ukraine, as he began a two-day visit to China with discussions on