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Keira Lu Huang

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on her visit to Beijing on Thursday that Germany was prepared for competition from other European economies seeking greater business engagement with China.
"We welcome competition that is conducive to the promotion of business," Merkel said, adding she was very happy to know President Xi Jinping had a fruitful visit to Britain. "In Germany, we don't have a Queen," she said, to laughter.
CCTV called Merkel, who is on her eighth visit to China, the country's most frequent state-leader visitor. Photos of the welcome ceremony outside of the Great Hall of the People showed Merkel and Premier Li Keqiang high-fiving each other like old friends.
The two state leaders' meeting - scheduled to last 30 minutes - went over time, lasting 70 minutes, Xinhua said.
After the Beijing meeting, Merkel will fly to Hefei , in Anhui province, for a one-day trip today. Li, an Anhui native, will accompany Merkel on the trip.
READ MORE: After Xi Jinping's visit to Britain, German Chancellor Angela Merkel keen to show she 'knows China best'
While in Hefei, the German chancellor is expected to visit a local family and a village school. The two leaders will also attend a seminar with business leaders from both countries.
Li had said the trip to Anhui was scheduled last year when Merkel visited China, and that it would be his first time accompanying a foreign state leader on a provincial visit since he became premier.
When Li took office as premier in March 2013, Merkel was the first foreign leader to call to congratulate him.
"It shows the good relationship between the two states," Xinhua said on its microblog.
Li has met Merkel five times previously and spoken on the phone with her on three occasions, according to the state-run news agency.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse


Germany ready to vie with other EU countries for business in China, says Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel chats with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during a welcome ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: AFP

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