Xi was making his first visit as president to Germany, Europe's biggest economy, as part of a wider European tour that also has taken him to neighboring France.
Business ties took center stage at Xi's meeting with Merkel. The two leaders oversaw the signing of deals including agreements for automakers Daimler and BMW to deepen ties with their Chinese partners, and a deal between the countries' central banks that will allow yuan-denominated payments to be cleared and settled in Germany's financial center, Frankfurt.
Merkel said Germany would push for the quick conclusion of an investment agreement between China and the European Union "which could also be a precursor for a future free trade agreement."
Merkel also touched on human rights and said she had made clear that "broad and free expression of opinion is of course a very important element to advance a society's creativity." Xi didn't respond to that.
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China has "an open position toward all concepts that serve to calm the situation and bring about a political solution," Xi said through an interpreter.