German President begins state visit to China
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, early Tuesday morning to begin a state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The five-day visit, running from Tuesday to Saturday, marks Steinmeier's first state visit to China in eight years.
During the visit, Xi will hold talks with Steinmeier. Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, will also meet with the German president to exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest.
Steinmeier visited China several times while serving as Germany's foreign minister. He also paid a state visit to China in 2018, during his first presidential term.
Commenting on the visit, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson described Steinmeier as "an old friend of the Chinese people" and said he had made positive contributions to the development of bilateral ties.
This year marks the 54th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Germany. Germany has long been China's largest trading partner within the European Union and remains a leading partner in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
According to German sources, high-level exchanges and cooperation in science, technology and people-to-people fields will be key focuses of the visit.
Steinmeier is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising representatives from the Bundestag, the European Parliament and the German federal government, as well as figures from sports, culture, education, science, technology and industry.
Hefei, the first stop on his itinerary, will see Steinmeier visit Volkswagen's research and development institute in China. He will also inspect sustainable urban development projects and tour Huangshan Mountain, a UNESCO-listed World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site.
