China and Germany inked 19 bilateral cooperation documents in Beijing on Monday. Premier Wen Jiabao and visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended the signing ceremony.

 

The documents detail cooperation in various fields including railway technology, financial cooperation, high tech dialogue, telecommunications, energy, culture and sports. The two sides also signed a memorandum of understanding on the protection of intellectual property rights in the textile industry.

 

The documents were signed at the Great Hall of the People after talks between Wen and Merkel.

 

Merkel arrived in Beijing on Sunday night for an official visit from May 21 to 23 at Wen's invitation. This is Merkel's first visit to China since she came to power in November 2005.

 

Merkel is also scheduled to visit Shanghai, the last leg of her China tour. While there, she will ride on the maglev (magnetic levitation) train. The Shanghai maglev train project represents the first Sino-German technological cooperation endeavor. 

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 22, 2006)