"Open" and "honest" talks during Chinese visit to Germany (Roundup)

Jan 29, 2009, 15:40 GMT

Berlin - The mood was conciliatory at Thursday's meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.

The Chinese premier said of his visit to the German capital, scheduled to last less than 20 hours, that the leaders 'exchanged opinions in an open and honest atmosphere.'

Wen's German stopover, part of a trip including the World Economic Forum in Davos and a meeting with the European Commission in Brussels, was indicative of the important relationship between the world's two largest exporting nations.

At the start of the day, the two leaders sat down to what Merkel described as an 'ample' breakfast.

The countries' economic ties featured high on the menu, against the backdrop of an international financial crisis which, both leaders agreed, could only be weathered jointly.

Speaking of the morning's talks, the Chinese premier asked the key question, 'How can Germany and China work hand in hand to counter the economic crisis?'

The answer lay partly in the agreements signed under the leaders' auspices. Manufacturing deals, technology transfers and cooperation in the arts were all brought to the table.

China signed an agreement to buy the German design work for the Transrapid, a magnetic-levitation railway system which already operates in Shanghai and which China aims to expand.

Chinese construction machinery manufacturer Sany also formalized its intent to set up a factory near the German city of Cologne. The site, which will generate around 600 jobs, is China's largest economic investment in Europe to date.

Other initiatives included plans for Daimler to build lorries in China, an agreement on climate change, German cooperation on the environmental model city of Xuzhou, and plans for an exhibition of Enlightenment art to travel to China.

The day was about highlighting the similarities and putting aside differences between the countries.

Both states, Merkel said, were 'very dependent on export'. They shared the belief that 'protectionism can under no circumstances be the answer' to the current financial crisis.

Other senior ministers who met with Wen included Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Economics Minister Michael Glos and Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel.

The issue of Tibet came to the fore in the guise of around 60 demonstrators, looking on from a heavily guarded distance as Wen was greeted with military honours at the Chancellery.

In the spirit of openness, Merkel appealed to the Chinese Premier to restart Beijing's talks with envoys of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader.

'Germany has an intense interest in the talks with the Dalai Lama resuming,' Merkel told reporters after initial discussions with Wen.

She said Germany was willing to make a 'constructive contribution' on the matter, adding that Germany did not question the one-China policy.

The subject of Tibet had previously led to tensions between the two countries, after Merkel received the Dalai Lama in 2007.

On this visit, Wen described the thaw in relations saying, 'After a cold winter, spring brings with it a relationship we can be proud of'.

Merkel made it clear that China, along with other developing countries, are increasingly important in solving international problems.

The chancellor said, 'Most questions can no longer be solved by the G8 countries alone'. For this reason, it was crucial to include developing countries such as China in global problem-solving.

In his concluding comments, Wen alluded to the wintery weather in the German capital saying, 'in China, snow is the indicator of a good year.'