German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to China is likely to result in the announcement of a "comprehensive strategic partnership" between the two nations, state media said today, according to dpa. Merkel's three-day 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 to mark the visit, which was scheduled to begin late Thursday. "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 Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday, following which the two leaders planned to attend the signing of several bilateral agreements. Chinese analysts said they expected the visit, during which Merkel will also meet President Hu Jintao, 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. 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. -- SPA
