Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing. The two leaders held talks and are eyeing cooperation potential across various fields. Our reporter Zhao Yunfei has the story.

Red carpet rolled out. Premier Li welcomed the most frequent-visiting western leader as the German Chancellor kicked off her 11th trip to China. Hosting the welcome ceremony in front of the Great Hall of the People. This is a trip that Merkel highly anticipates will strengthen multilateralism under the framework of the World Trade Organization. During their political talks, they exchanged views on pertinent international issues.

ANGELA MERKEL GERMAN CHANCELLOR "Germany follows the Iran nuclear deal. We have carried out a lot of diplomatic efforts to establish the deal. Although the agreement is not perfect, there is no replacement. Other choices will make the region even more unstable."

Li and Merkel also agreed on establishing an environment for equal and fair trade.

LI KEQIANG CHINESE PREMIER "The prosperous development of all countries depends on protecting multilateralism and free trade. We should push forward the facilitation of trade."

China's total trade with Germany rose to 220 billion US dollars in 2017, marking the second consecutive year China surpassed the US as Germany's biggest trading partner.

The two countries are seeing more cooperation between the Made in China 2025 initiative and Germany Industry 4.0 plan.

ZHAO YUNFEI BEIJING "China-Germany relations serve as a model for Sino-European ties. With the rising tide of trade protectionism now and the US' withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, the German Chancellor's visit to China is not only strengthening the relationship between the two nations, but also showing their commitment to the openness of globalization. Zhao Yunfei, CGTN, Beijing."