Sino–German relations were formally established in 1861, when
Prussia and the
Qing Empire concluded the first Sino-German treaty during the
Eulenburg Expedition. Ten years later, the
German Empire was founded and the new state inherited the old Prussian treaty. The relations were on the whole, frosty, with Germany joining imperialist powers like
Great Britain and
France in carving out spheres of influence in the
Chinese empire.