President Xi arrives in Berlin for state visit to Germany

President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan wave upon their arrival in Berlin, Germany, July 4, 2017.Xi arrived here on Tuesday for his second state visit to Germany. [Photo/Xinhua]

BERLIN - President Xi Jinping arrived on Tuesday for his second state visit to Germany, aiming to cement ties with this major country of Europe.

During his visit to Germany, Xi will meet with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel. He will also attend the opening ceremony of the Panda Garden at the Berlin Zoo and watch a football match between Chinese and German youth teams.

Xi and German leaders will exchange views on deepening political mutual trust, expanding practical cooperation and reinforcing cooperation within the framework of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies, and discuss other regional and global issues. The two sides will also ink a series of cooperation agreements.

The year 2017 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-Germany diplomatic ties. It is expected that Xi's visit will chart the course for the future development of bilateral ties and build new momentum for China-Europe partnerships of peace, growth, reform and civilization, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Chao told a media briefing on June 29.

President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan are greeted upon their arrival in Berlin, Germany, July 4, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

During Xi's first state visit to Germany in March 2014, China and Germany lifted their bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The two economies are highly complementary. Bilateral trade volume reached $151.29 billion in 2016, and China became Germany's largest trading partner for the first time.

As the G20 summit host respectively for 2016 and 2017, China and Germany are both working to contribute to global economic governance.

In an interview with Xinhua, Chinese ambassador to Germany Shi Mingde said China hopes that the upcoming G20 Hamburg summit will continue to encourage openness of the world economy in a bid to counter protectionism, and push growth through innovation and structural reform, instead of only using fiscal and monetary tools.

The July 7-8 G20 Hamburg summit is expected to focus on issues of global economic growth, trade, spread of digital technology, climate policy and Africa's development, among others.