(photo by Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Tuesday, saying his country supports the European Union (EU) to be "united, stable, prosperous and open," reported Xinhua News Agency.

The Chinese president arrived in Berlin on Tuesday for his second state visit to Germany. It is the second stop of Xi's ongoing European tour which also took him to Russia. During his stay in Germany, he will also travel to Hamburg to attend the G20 summit.

Most of the activities will take place on Wednesday, starting with an official welcome for Xi at the German president's office, followed by official bilateral discussions with Merkel at the Chancellery.

Trade is expected to top the agenda, ahead of the G20 summit later this week. These two leaders have been leading the charge against protectionist rhetoric coming out of the US.

There are still a number of outstanding issues between China and Germany in this sphere though – in particular, many European firms see Chinese steel as unfairly priced. That, according to the White House, was an issue raised by US President Donald Trump during a phone call with Merkel about one day ago.