China’s Li, Germany’s Merkel talk foreign investment

By Mahmut Atanur

BEIJING (AA) – Germany’s chancellor and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang have underlined the need to be open to foreign investments during Angela Merkel’s visit to Beijing.

Earlier on Monday, Merkel was greeted with a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in which the national anthems of China and Germany were played.

Merkel and Li then attended the fourth China-Germany Intergovernmental Consultation, after which they signed a number of agreements on bilateral relations and trade.

In a joint press conference following the signing ceremony, Li described the Chinese market as open to all and vowed that the government would take more steps aimed at increasing foreign investments based on a “transparent, equal and impartial basis”.

He stressed that China does “not want a trade war with Europe”, which he warned would not benefit any side.

Merkel underlined that the sides should avoid an “emotional debate”, adding that Beijing’s administration should work on a number of areas, such as public procurements, and that China could benefit from Germany’s experiences.

“Germany is open to foreign investments and expects the same from China,” she said.

Merkel is paying her ninth visit to China from Sunday to Tuesday, during which she is set to travel to Shenyang, the capital of northeast Liaoning Province that is home to a Chinese-German industrial park.