BEIJING (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Beijing on Thursday for talks with Chinese leaders on expanding trade and solving Europe's debt problems.
Merkel's two-day visit includes meetings with President Hu Jintao; her Chinese counterpart, Wen Jiabao; and younger Communist Party leaders who are due to take power in a once-a-decade transition over the coming year. The two sides are due to sign business agreements and German officials say Merkel will brief Chinese leaders on Europe's debt problems.
Merkel is accompanied by executives of some 20 German companies in the auto, chemical, energy, commodities and other industries. She was due to attend a signing ceremony for business deals Thursday, though officials declined to give details in advance.
Merkel's visit is her second to China this year. A round of regular bilateral meetings was scheduled for next year, but German officials say Wen asked Merkel to come early before the party starts its handover of power in October.
The meetings come amid tension over a request by European manufacturers of solar power equipment for anti-dumping duties on Chinese products that they say are improperly subsidized. Chinese manufacturers that depend on the European market have warned Beijing might retaliate.
German officials told reporters in Berlin that Merkel wants to assure Beijing that Europe debt is a "safe and good investment." China invested in Greek debt before a deal that forced bondholders to accept a reduction in the value of their holdings.
The visit focuses mostly on economic issues, but a senior German official told reporters he expects an "open discussion" with Chinese leaders on Syria, which is in the throes of a civil war that has left an estimated 20,000 people dead. Russia and China have repeatedly used their veto power in the U.N. Security Council to block strong Western- and Arab-backed action against President Bashar Assad's regime that could have led to sanctions.
Germany hopes a Security Council agreement on humanitarian issues could help provide a basis for a stronger agreement on political questions, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
In addition to Wen and Hu, Merkel was expected to meet Xi Jinping, who is in line to become China's next ruling party leader and president, and Li Keqiang, due to become premier, the top economic official.
On Friday, Merkel and Wen planned to travel to Tianjin, east of Beijing, to visit an Airbus final assembly plant.