Hamburg Summit on the agenda for Li's German visit

Premier Li Keqiang will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel next month and attend a high-level business conference in Hamburg, the city's chamber of commerce has announced.

The Hamburg Summit: China Meets Europe will take place on Oct 10 and Oct 11.

Li will deliver the keynote speech at the event, which has been held every two years since 2004.

He and other ministers will have talks in Berlin with Merkel and some of her ministers.

China and Germany will sign an agreement on bilateral economic cooperation, said Peter Kreutzberger, deputy head of the economic department at the German embassy in Beijing, without giving details.

"Chinese enterprises have become the largest overseas investment destination for Germany, and Germany maintains high confidence in China's economic growth," Kreutzberger said.

China was Germany's third-biggest foreign trade partner last year, according to the Federal Statistics Office in Wiesbaden. The trade volume between the two countries was 140 billion euros ($181 billion), and China is the second-largest exporter to Germany.

The Hamburg Summit, initiated by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, has fostered Sino-German and Sino-European relations by encouraging communication between government officials, top business leaders, scientists and social entrepreneurs.

Guests will include Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, European Parliament President Martin Schulz and European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht.

Merkel visited China in July to discuss economic issues - her seventh visit since 2005. President Xi Jinping and Premier Li visit Germany frequently for talks.

"China and Germany see some issues differently, but they are willing to tackle and solve problems, which will pave the way for further cooperation," said Jia Xiudong, a senior researcher on international affairs at the China Institute of International Studies.

"The Hamburg Summit will serve as a great platform for discussing Sino-German economic relations."