German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in China today evening for a visit state media said could result in a "comprehensive strategic partnership" between the two nations, dpa reported. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao is due to welcome Merkel with military honours on Friday and then accompany her on a visit to Xi'an where she will view the famed terracotta army tourist attraction. The chancellor is also scheduled to confer with President Hu Jintao and meet journalists critical of the regime in Beijing before flying home via Kazakhstan on Sunday. Merkel's visit "may be taken as the clearest indication yet that both nations are keen to push bilateral ties to a higher level," the official China Daily said in a commentary. "China and Germany share many common concerns and have worked closely together in international groupings to find ways to resolve some gnawing issues afflicting the world, such as the global financial crisis and climate change," the newspaper said. "It is likely that Beijing and Berlin will announce a comprehensive strategic partnership during Merkel's trip," it said. "If so, this will inject new momentum to bilateral cooperation." Merkel was scheduled to hold her main talks with Wen on Friday, following which the two leaders planned to attend the signing of several bilateral agreements. Chinese analysts said they expected the visit to focus on economic cooperation. "Against the backdrop of the global economic downturn and the eurozone sovereign debt crisis, Germany naturally wants more cooperation with China to weather the crises," said Feng Zhongping, director of European Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations. "China is vigorously seeking progress in the green economy, energy conservation and emission reduction and Germany is technologically advanced in these fields," the government's Xinhua news agency quoted Feng as saying. Merkel was also expected to discuss global economic and financial development, and measures to reduce trade protectionism, Mei Zhaorong, a former Chinese ambassador to Germany, told the agency. China is Germany's largest trade partner in Asia, and Germany is the biggest European trade partner for China. Bilateral trade was valued at 105.73 billion dollars last year, accounting for more than a quarter of the total trade between China and EU nations, according to Chinese statistics.
