A red-carpet ceremony was held in Beijing to welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday as she made her eight state visit to China since she her election into office in 2005.

The German leader later held talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People. The meeting, aimed at strengthening the ties between both countries, saw discussions on various topics of mutual interest, including business cooperation and the conflict in Syria. Both leaders also witnessed the signing of over a dozen agreements ranging trade to people-to-people exchanges.

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Among the agreements is a deal for Chinese airlines to purchase about 130 Airbus aircrafts for over $17 billion (108 billion yuan), according to Reuters. The move is expected to support the German airplane manufacturer's expansion in China.

China Foreign Exchange Trade System and the Deutsche Boerse also inked an agreement to create a joint venture that will engage in interest-rate trading and forex transactions. Both organizations will each own a 50 percent stake in the new company.

All round relations between China and Germany have developed rapidly in recent years.  "I believe that German-Chinese relations are in their historic best these days," Germany's Ambassador to China Michael Clauss told China Radio International recently. "And Germany is obviously the most important partner for China in economic and political things in Europe."

China is one of Germany's most important trading partners outside Europe. According to the Chinese Ambassador to Germany Shi Mingde, the volume of trade between the two nations in 2014 was worth about $177.8 billion (over 1 trillion yuan). This accounted for about 30 percent of the trade between China and the European Union (EU). Shi told Xinhua that China and Germany have collaborated closely on international affairs and "are both committed to addressing focus issues through political and diplomatic means."

Premier Li and Chancellor Merkel both highlighted the need for a political solution to the conflict in Syria during their discussions. Li, who said China is willing to play a "constructive role" in resolving the crisis, noted that dialogue is the way forward. He commended Germany for taking in many refugees fleeing the war in the Middle East.

Merkel, who is visiting China on the invitation of Premier Li, will leave the country on Friday.

TagsGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel China, Angela Merkel Li Keqiang, China-Germany Syria Political Solution, China-Germany relations