President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. hosted German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Malacañang Palace on June 16, marking a historic milestone in the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Steinmeier, accompanied by First Lady Elke Büdenbender, arrived in Manila late Monday night for the historic state visit, which is the first by a German president to the Philippines in more than six decades, according to SunStar news.
Strengthening strategic, economic partnerships
During their bilateral meeting, Marcos and Steinmeier discussed multifaceted co-operation across key priority areas including trade, investment, defense, climate action and renewable energy, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
Marcos highlighted that Germany is the Philippines’ largest trading and investment partner within the European Union.
In 2025, bilateral trade between the two nations reached approximately US$5.5 billion, with net foreign direct investments totaling US$10.26 million, featuring contributions from major German companies such as Siemens, Lufthansa Technik and Deutsche Bank.
Furthermore, Marcos expressed gratitude for Germany’s support in advancing the ongoing Free Trade Agreement negotiations between the Philippines and the European Union, which held its sixth round of talks in Manila in May.
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South China Sea maritime security concerns
A major focal point of the joint press conference was the ongoing territorial confrontations in the South China Sea.
The Associated Press reported that Steinmeier conveyed Europe’s concern over the tensions in the disputed waters, warning that a major flare-out could threaten the freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most economically dynamic regions.
Steinmeier explicitly compared the situation to the recent drastic blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, noting that violations of the international law of the sea directly endanger crucial global trade routes.
“If incidents occur in that part of the world that is also cause for great concern in Europe,” President Steinmeier said.
“Violations of the international law of the sea endanger the freedom of navigation as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has brought home to us recently in a very drastic manner.”
Marcos thanked Germany for publicly upholding the rule of law and backing the “final and binding” 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award.
Germany has also been active in modernising the Philippine Coast Guard, having previously donated surveillance drones and Airbus H145 helicopters to boost Manila’s maritime capabilities, SunStar news reported.
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Deepening labour, development ties
The discussions also highlighted the strong people-to-people relations between the two countries.
According to PNA, Marcos praised the estimated 45,000 Filipinos living and working in Germany, particularly healthcare professionals and nurses, as vital partners to German society.
Steinmeier welcomed the contributions of these skilled workers “with open arms” and expressed mutual interest in expanding further migration, vocational training and development initiatives through the German Society for International Co-operation (GIZ).
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