German chancellor Angela Merkel aims to expand trade ties on visit to China
China is key market for EU powerhouse while mainland's rising class eager to buy German
German Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel heads to China this weekend for her seventh visit, eager to deepen trade and investment ties between the export powerhouses of Europe and Asia.
For the EU's biggest economy, China is a crucial mass market, where companies want its technology and the millions of newly prosperous crave German goods from Audi cars to luxury home appliances.
Merkel is set to travel with a high-powered business delegation including top executives of Siemens, VW, Airbus, Lufthansa and Deutsche Bank, the Bild daily reported this week.
Government officials did not confirm the line-up but said corporate chieftains hoped to sign deals in Beijing's Great Hall of the People that could further cement bilateral business ties.
China is the second biggest market for German exports outside Europe, after the United States. It sold goods worth €67 billion (HK$708 billion) to China last year, while imports from the Asian giant topped €73 billion.