Germany's President Begins First China Visit in Eight Years for Talks With Xi

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier begins a five-day state visit to China on Tuesday, his first trip to the country in nearly eight years. At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Steinmeier will hold talks with Xi in Beijing and also meet Premier Li Qiang and top legislator Zhao Leji, before travelling to Anhui province in eastern China. The visit comes as the world's second- and third-largest economies mark 54 years of diplomatic relations, and as Berlin and Beijing navigate trade tensions and disagreements over industrial policy.
According to the itinerary, Steinmeier will outline his position on economic and trade relations in a keynote speech at Peking University on Thursday and visit a Volkswagen facility in Hefei, the capital of Anhui. Chinese officials say they hope the trip will cement mutual trust, deepen cooperation and encourage joint innovation, while German officials want fairer trade relations that benefit both sides. Experts in Beijing have described the visit as a balancing gesture at a time when Germany's government has taken a tougher line on China, and say it could help steer the relationship toward more constructive engagement on trade and industry.
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