Broader vision of ties required

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in China from Sunday to Tuesday to attend the fourth Chinese-German government consultation. It's her ninth visit to China.

The high-profile lineup of Merkel's delegation, including many cabinet members and a high-level economic team, shows that Sino-German ties are now at a high level.

Germany is China's largest trading partner in the European Union, accounting for 30 percent of China's trade with the bloc. China was the biggest greenfield investor in Germany in 2015, with a total of 260 investment projects. And German products, such as large mechanical and electrical equipment and consumer goods, are very popular in China.