Merkel eyes business openings for Germany in China

German chancellor Angela Merkel met China's president Xi Jinping on Thursday during a visit to encourage Beijing to open up to German business.

Dr Merkel also sought to deepen relations with China in the face of threats from US president Donald Trump over trade.

On what is Dr Merkel's 11th visit to China, Mr Xi "pledged to work with Germany to bring bilateral ties to a new high", noted a report on the Xinhua news agency.

Germany and China have become allies in encouraging more global trade despite Mr Trump's America First trade policy. And Dr Merkel said both countries stood by the Iran nuclear deal, regardless of Mr Trump's decision to withdraw from the pact.

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Germany and China are exporting nations that run large trade surpluses with the United States and Mr Trump has criticised both, threatening tariffs.

Earlier, premier Li Keqiang promised that China would open up its markets to German investment and do more to create level playing fields, long a complaint of European firms doing business in China. They also complain about intellectual property theft and trade barriers.

“China’s door is open. You can say it will open even wider,” said Mr Li after a meeting in the Great Hall of the People.

Dr Merkel attended a Germany-China business forum with Mr Li. “We understand that China is still developing, but we also see that in some areas China is the absolute technology leader,” she said.

“So in these areas we naturally want reciprocal access. Otherwise, this will gradually lead to us putting in place constraints, perhaps too many constraints; and that wouldn’t be good,” she added.

Human rights

Dr Merkel also raised human rights issues during her visit. The German leader, who was raised in the former East Germany, reportedly brings a list of cases with her on trips to China.

The premier fielded a question on human rights, when a reporter asked him about Liu Xia, widow of Nobel Peace Prize-winner Liu Xiaobo, who has effectively been under house arrest since her husband was jailed in 2009.

The artist and poet, who suffers from depression, has never been charged with any crime.

There were rumours she might be allowed to leave the country to live in Germany. But in recent days she has gone missing and there are fears she may not be allowed to leave.

Mr Li said China’s constitution respects and protects human rights. And he hoped he and Dr Merkel could talk about human rights one-on-one “on the basis of mutual respect and equality”.

“China will respect the actions taken in accordance with the law by judicial and law enforcement bodies, but at the same time we must respect humanitarianism and follow humanitarian principles,” said Mr Li .

He said China was willing to hold talks on human rights with Germany by the end of this year.