China buys Airbus jets during Merkel visit

The U.S. Navy sail-past provoked angry Chinese reactions but was welcomed by America’s allies, including the Philippines and upheld by others like Vietnam, which has also been locked in a bitter territorial feud with China.

The South China Sea, believed to be rich in resources, is a strategic waterway through which roughly a third of the world’s oil passes.

Recently, China has begun carrying out aggressive land reclamation and construction projects on several reefs, prompting the United States to call for a halt on such efforts.

Separately, the English-language China Daily newspaper reported that Adm. Harry Harris, commander of USA forces in the Pacific, would visit Beijing next week.

No details were given on the activists she met.

China had already ordered 45 of the twin-aisle planes back in June.

A man uses a mobile phone to take a picture of an Airbus A380 model at the Beijing global Avi …

Airbus – which has an assembly facility in the northern Chinese port of Tianjin – is engaged in a fierce struggle with Boeing (NYSE: BA – news) of the USA for dominance in the crucial Chinese market.

The latest announcement comes after Boeing won an order last month for 300 jets from Chinese carriers and lessors.

The economic growth in China and the emergence the budget airlines have made air travel more affordable to more people, which has prompted carriers like Air China and China Southern Airlines to increase the size of their fleets.

Since setting up the East China Sea air zone – through which the United States swiftly flew B-52 bombers – China has quietly stopped seeking to actively enforce it, according to military officials and policy advisers who have followed the issue. It marks the first time Li has invited a foreign leader to his home province. “Chinese leaders also attach great importance to developing relations with Germany”, said Shi, noting that mutual trust and frequent exchange of visits between leaders of the two countries are of significance for promoting bilateral ties.

Airbus has headquarters in Germany and France.

In her talks with Mr Li early on Thursday, she raised the conflict in Syria, a matter that is causing political difficulties for her back in Germany as the country tries to deal with a large influx of migrants, and both countries agreed the urgency of finding a solution was increasing.

Li said China was extremely concerned about the refugee crisis but that China expresses its “high degree of approval” to the relevant countries for their effort to appropriately settle the refugees and avoid a humanitarian crisis.