BERLIN, Oct 15 Reuters - The German Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold virtual farewell talks on Monday with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and will also receive European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a German government spokesperson said on Friday.
Merkel and Li discuss bilateral and international relations, economic issues, climate change and preparations for G20 summit, the spokesperson told a regular government news conference.
The announcement follows a report in Scotland from The Times newspaper that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not travel to Britain next month to attend the climate summit at COP 26 in person.
Asked if Merkel and Li would talk about China's contribution to the global fight against climate change, the spokesperson said the topic was certainly going to come up.
The Chinese government assumes that the German side will make a decisive contribution to climate change by reducing the risks of climate change, she said.
The meeting with von der Leyen, the former German defense minister in Merkel's government, will focus on current political issues, the spokesperson said.