German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in China Thursday for her second visit there of the year, dpa reported. Accompanying her was the biggest German delegation to visit the country. Merkel was scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the start of a two-day visit while seven German ministers would hold talks with their Chinese counterparts, officials said. The two sides planned to sign eight official agreements and several business deals during the visit, sources said. Merkel was expected to press China to offer more help with the eurozone debt crisis and to discuss Syria, North Korea and other international issues with Chinese leaders. She was scheduled to visit an Airbus plant Friday in the northern city of Tianjin, where two major deals were expected to be announced. Dozens of German business executives were travelling with Merkel in a delegation of more than 100 people. Ahead of the visit, both sides hailed the "special relationship" developed between Germany and China, based on strong economic links over the past 20 years.
