BEIJING — Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday that China welcomes German companies during a visit by Chancellor Angela Merkel that gives Beijing an opportunity to try to recruit an ally in its trade feud with U.S. President Donald Trump. Both China and Germany are embroiled in disputes with Washington, though German officials say Merkel is committed to trans-Atlantic ties and isn’t looking for new alliances. “I welcome German businessmen to come to invest in China,” said Li. “China’s door is open and will be open wider.”Merkel broached the topic of access in a later meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying Chinese companies were increasingly entering the German market, “in some cases with very sophisticated technologies of their own. Merkel’s visit follows a truce in Beijing’s sprawling dispute with Trump over its technology policy and multibillion-dollar trade surplus with the United States.

Source: National Post May 24, 2018 03:06 UTC