Angela Merkel visits Beijing
In Beijing, we find German Chancellor Angela Merkel today. She’s there on what’s being called a “trade mission” but — and we’re just throwing this out there — she may have other items on her agenda.
The BBC’s Martin Patience says a huge part of her trip may have to do with the fact that Merkel needs help dealing with Europe’s debt crisis. Indeed, this is the second time she’s been in Beijing in six months.
China’s leadership has expressed worry about the European situation, even with their own slowing economy to worry about.
“China’s economy is weakening,” Patience says. “Certainly there’s a slowdown here, and a large part of that is dropping demand in Europe.
“What’s interesting is, the Chinese say that they will continue to invest in the euro, but there’s been no big announcement. Why is that? Well, the Chinese are worried about the situation in the eurozone, but also they’re coming under intense political pressure from their own people. China is still a developing country, and the last thing that China’s leaders want to be accused of is bailing out rich countries when many people in China don’t have healthcare or a decent education.”
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