Li and Merkel tout their 'innovation partnership'

Premier Li Keqiang met German Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel yesterday in the third round of talks this year between the two countries as they grapple with slowing economies.

The visit comes as Beijing deals with Hong Kong's prodemocracy protests and the host nation gears up to celebrate a quarter of a century since the fall of the Berlin Wall ended communism in East Germany.

But Berlin and Beijing, in a year of persistent diplomatic efforts, stressed they wanted to boost their already multibillion-dollar trade and investment ties and deepen their "innovation partnership".

In a meeting with German President Joachim Gauck, Li said cooperation between China and Germany had reached an "unprecedented level" and called on the two nations to deepen ties.

"The two nations should have an objective and comprehensive view towards each other, and through understanding of the conditions of both nations based on the principles of mutual respect, mutual benefit and being accommodative of each other," he was quoted by state television as saying.

In his second trip to the German capital since taking office last year, Li took part in joint-cabinet talks at Merkel's chancellery, followed by the signing of about 20 bilateral agreements.

Airbus, which has manufacturing operations in Germany, said China had signed an agreement to buy 70 A320 family aircraft, an order worth US$6.6 billion at list prices.