Zhu Rongji Meets German Chancellor Schroeder

Zhu Rongji Meets German Chancellor Schroeder

Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji held talks Friday with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder at the start of an official four-day visit.

Zhu, received with military honours, is on his first official visit to Germany as head of government.

Business and economic matters were scheduled to dominate his four-day German visit, officials here said.

Also on the agenda is a planned joint declaration on rule of law in economics and human rights.

German Chancellor Schroeder Welcomes Premier Zhu

Germany is China's main trading partner in Europe. Total trade between the two countries in 1999 amounted to 40.3 billion marks (US$20 billion).

Zhu met the heads of major German firms including Bayer, BMW and DaimlerChrysler on Thursday.

Schroeder was expected to encourage the Chinese government to continue with economic and political reforms and to raise the topic of human rights.

Premier Zhu Rongji was also scheduled Friday to address the Asian-Pacific committee of the German industry association, and meet parliamentary speaker Wolfgang Thierse and Berlin Mayor Eberhard Diepgen.

No major contract is expected to be signed during Zhu's visit, German officials said.

However, agreements for two feasibility studies are expected -- one for a possible link between the airport and the city centre of Shanghai by a German magnetic monorail system, the other for a project to reduce the amount of polluting coal-burning in China.

The Chinese prime minister is scheduled to have breakfast on Saturday with former Chancellor Helmut Kohl before holding talks with President Johannes Rau.

He will also meet the leader of the conservative Christian Democrat opposition, Angela Merkel.

After a visit to Potsdam near Berlin, Zhu flies to Hamburg where he will breakfast Sunday with former Social Democrat chancellor Helmut Schmidt and make a visit to the test and development centre of the Transrapid magnetic train that Germany hopes to sell the Chinese.

He will conclude his stay in Germany with a visit to the Chinese and the German pavilions at the Expo 2000 world's fair in Hanover, accompanied by Schroeder.

Zhu leaves Germany next Monday for Luxembourg, then later travels to the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium.

His tour comes just six weeks after the signing in Beijing of a historic trade deal to open up China's vast market to outside investment.