Chinese premier arrives in Berlin for official visit

BERLIN, Oct. 9  -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived here Thursday for a three-day official visit to Germany at the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Upon his arrival, Li said that China and Germany had upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in March.

Ever since, the two countries have maintained close contacts at different levels, and bilateral cooperation has been unprecedentedly deepened and broadened, the Chinese premier said.

Li said he was looking forward to making in-depth exchanges of views with German leaders on bilateral ties and issues of common concern, strengthening mutual strategic trust, mapping out medium- and long-term cooperation plans in innovation, economy and trade as well as other areas, enhancing the friendship between the two peoples and promoting the development of the Sino-German relations to a new height.

This is Li's second visit to Germany since he took office in March 2013.

He will meet German President Joachim Gauck and co-chair with Merkel the third round of China-Germany governmental consultations.

The Chinese premier will also deliver speeches both at the Chinese-German Forum for Economic and Technological Cooperation, and the Hamburg Summit, an important platform for open dialogues between China and Europe.

Besides, a China-Germany cooperation program for the next five to 10 years is expected to be endorsed by both sides during the visit.

Companies from the two countries will sign cooperation agreements on auto-making, clean energy and mobile communications, among others.

Germany is China's biggest partner in Europe in trade, investment and technological cooperation. Bilateral trade exceeded 160 billion U.S. dollars in 2013.

Germany is the first stop of Li's three-nation European tour, which will also take him to Russia and Italy.