President Xi Jinping meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing on Thursday. FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY

President Xi Jinping also met with Merkel.

He told her that China welcomes Germany taking part in the development of central and western China and also in the modernization of north-eastern areas.

Merkel said Germany supports inclusion of the renminbi in the International Monetary Fund's special drawing rights basket and backs China's application for membership of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

After meetings in Beijing, Merkel is scheduled to fly to Hefei, capital of Anhui province, for a one-day visit on Friday accompanied by Li, a native of Anhui. Merkel is expected to visit a local family and a village school in Hefei.

"As an inland province, Anhui will play an important role in the future development of urbanization and upgrading of manufacturing in China," said Cui Hongjian, a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies and an expert on Sino-European relations.

Cui also said China's cooperation with Germany is based on shared benefits.

Contact the writers through zhaoyinan@chinadaily.com.cn