Xi Jinping promises to keep opening up China’s economy as he welcomes Germany’s Angela Merkel to Beijing
- Chinese leader says two countries must work together as he courts European support amid trade war with US
- Merkel’s visit is the first by a major Western leader since Hong Kong protests escalated over the summer
Chinese President Xi Jinping told visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday that China would keep its promise to open up its economy as he courted European support in the trade war with the US.
Xi said that China and Germany needed to intensify their strategic cooperation “more than ever” to ensure everyone could enjoy a larger slice of the cake.
He argued that the Chinese market would develop further, adding: “Thus openness is extending from the manufacturing sector to the financial and services sectors. This will bring more new chances for Germany and all other countries in the world.”
Merkel, who was making her 12th official visit to China since taking office in 2005, said that the prolonged dispute between the world’s two biggest economies “affects everyone in the world”, adding that a solution needed to be found.
China and the United States are due to hold talks later this month to prepare the way for their most senior negotiators to meet early in October, but hopes for a swift resolution remain distant.