German President Steinmeier arrives in China for five-day state visit
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in Hefei, Anhui province, on 27 October for a five-day state visit, his first to China in nearly eight years. He is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and top legislator Zhao Leji to discuss bilateral ties and shared concerns.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in the early hours of Monday in Hefei, the capital of eastern China's Anhui province, launching a five-day state visit to China. The trip is his first visit to the country in nearly eight years.
During the visit, Steinmeier is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee. The leaders are expected to exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said ahead of the visit that Steinmeier is an old friend of the Chinese people who has made active contributions to the development of Sino-German relations. Beijing hopes the visit will help consolidate mutual trust, deepen cooperation and pursue joint innovation, the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson also said China is willing to work with Germany to use the visit as an opportunity to push for greater progress in bilateral ties, contribute to the steady and long-term development of China-Europe relations, and inject more positive energy into the world.