China and Germany on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding on the transfer of parts of the core technologies from Germany for the maglev railway projects in China.

The deal was signed by Wu Xiangming, president of the Shanghai Magnetic Transportation Development Co. and Hans Christoph Atzpodien, chairman of Germany's Thyssen Krupp Technology.

The agreement was among six deals signed by the two sides during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's official visit to Germany.

Zhang Ping, minister in charge of the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission, signed an agreement on cooperation in climate protection with Sigmar Gabriel, Germany's environment minister.

The two countries also clinched deals covering cooperation in the car industry, construction of Chinese ecological city Xuzhou, and exchanges between museums of the two countries.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Merkel and Wen, who arrived in Berlin late Wednesday.

Cooperation between China and Germany, both export-driving nations, is of special significance amid the ongoing financial and economic crisis, said a joint statement by the two leaders.

Germany is the second leg of Wen's European tour after Switzerland, where he attended the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The trip will also take him to the European Union headquarters, Spain and Britain.

(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2009)