Premier Wen Jiabao has arrived in Berlin for an official visit to Germany.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) welcomes Premier Wen Jiabao at Villa Liebermann at the Wannsee lake before a dinner in Berlin, June 27, 2011.

In a written statement issued upon his arrival, Wen notes China and Germany have increased understanding and cooperation in recent years, particularly in the process of coping with the global financial crisis. He says relations are facing new opportunities for development. The premier says he will co-chair the first China-Germany inter-government consultations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and meet President Christian Wulff.

China is Germany's fifth biggest export market and the biggest importer of goods into Germany. Bilateral trade volume last year was 130 billion euros, up more than 34 percent on the previous year.