GERMAN Chancellor Dr Helmut Kohl held talks with Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng yesterday, launching a five-day visit which German delegation sources said could net contracts worth more than US$3 billion (HK$23.17 billion).
The political head of Europe's most prosperous country held a 90-minute meeting with the premier of the world's most populous nation after being welcomed with military honours in Tiananmen Square, diplomats said.
Dr Kohl told Mr Li that Germany is ''following the rapid development of the Chinese economy with admiration'' and reaffirmed Bonn's one-China policy, in which it refrains from official relations and arms deals with Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wu Jianmin said.
Mr Li accepted an invitation to visit Germany.
German delegation sources said Dr Kohl's trip, his third since becoming Chancellor 11 years ago, would focus on gaining a bigger share for German firms in the booming Chinese market, and could yield signed contracts worth 5.6 billion marks (HK$25.38 billion).
There were already deals ready for signing worth US$1.24 billion, including six more airliners by the Airbus consortium worth about US$650 million and a US$117 million dye factory.