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BEIJING, Sept. 6-- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday in Beijing, calling on both countries to enhance strategic cooperation and jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade. During their talks at the Great Hall of the People, Li said enhancing China-Germany strategic cooperation and maintaining stable development of bilateral ties, at a time when the global economy is facing downward pressure, not only benefits the China-Europe relationship but also contributes to world peace, stability and prosperity. He called on both countries to safeguard multilateralism and the free trade system with the World Trade Organization as its core. Both countries need to uphold the ideas of inclusiveness to expand two-way opening of the market, Li said. "China will not change its initiative to expand market opening up, nor will it change the policy of welcoming foreign investment," said Li, adding that China will further enhance the protection of intellectual property rights. He said China hopes Germany can maintain the opening up of market as well, relax export restrictions of civil technologies and treat Chinese enterprises in a fair and just way in terms of investment review and market access. China stands ready to enhance cooperation with Germany in the areas of self-driving, technology innovation, artificial intelligence, youth exchange and vocational education, said the premier. | 
