Wen Jiabao arrives in Germany on Sunday for the start of an 11-day tour of Europe

The promotion of stronger business ties between Beijing and Berlin and the lifting of an arms embargo top the prime minister's agenda. One day after the European Union opened its doors to 10 new countries, China's prime minister kicked off the start of a whirlwind tour of the continent with a view to promoting stronger strategic and economic partnerships with the EU. His first stop on the 11-day visit is Germany, where he is scheduled to meet with both political and business leaders over the course of three days. In an interview with the German daily Die Welt ahead of his departure, Wen said the focus of his first official trip to Germany was "above all to promote the economy, trade and technology exchange." Germany is China's biggest trading partner in the EU, and China hopes to double its trade volume with Germany by the year 2010, Wen stated. In 2003, exports from Germany to China totaled 18 billion euros. The prime minister said he believes both countries have vast opportunities to intensify their cooperation, particularly in the high-tech area and the training of skilled workers.