(Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to allow foreign companies greater market access and reiterated her call for an “ambitious” investment accord between the European Union and China.
In addition to trade, Merkel and Li discussed battling the coronavirus pandemic, human rights and the situation in Hong Kong during a video conference on Thursday, her chief spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in an emailed statement.
The German leader “cited the need for further steps regarding market access, reciprocity and equal treatment for foreign companies,” Seibert said. “The conclusion of an ambitious investment agreement between the EU and China would be an important part of that.”
Read more: Europe Reaches a Tipping Point Over China's Hong Kong Gamble
Merkel spoke with Li, her Chinese counterpart, a week after she and Chinese President Xi Jinping decided to postpone an EU-China summit scheduled for September, citing safety issues tied to the pandemic.
Merkel on Thursday also reiterated her call for rules-based, multilateral trade, a strengthening of the World Trade Organization and stable bilateral ties between Berlin and Beijing.
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