German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2nd from left) receives an honorary doctorate from Nanjing University President Chen Jun (2nd from right), at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing on Sunday. Photo: AFP

 German Chancellor Angela Merkel kicked off her ninth visit to China on Sunday for further cooperation in manufacturing and improving the business environment for German companies in the country, experts said.

Merkel  received an honorary doctorate from Nanjing University on Sunday and had dinner with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the Summer Palace.

She will join Li for the fourth China-Germany inter-governmental consultation, Hong Lei, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a daily briefing last week.

The China-Germany inter-governmental consultation is the most important mechanism and platform of coordination led by the Chinese premier and German chancellor to coordinate and promote bilateral cooperation.

Experts said they expect the visit to highlight collaboration in manufacturing. "Germany is searching for ways to combine new information technology with traditional manufacturing to retain its competitive edge, while China is undergoing an upgrade in its industrial structure from low- to high-end," said Cui Hongjian, a professor at the China Institute of International Studies.

"Merkel will offer high-tech in exchange with China's large market in a bid to support her country's traditional manufacturing industry," Cui said.

"Merkel will also take the opportunity to improve the conditions of German companies in China," Hu Hong, an European Studies research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told Global Times.

But Cui said barriers exist to further cooperation. "On one hand, Germany is suspicious over intellectual property rights and the Chinese government's influence in business; on the other, German companies, which usually depend on only one or two patented technologies, are cautious about competing with its Chinese counterparts," he explained.

Cui suggested the inclusion of more small- and medium-sized Chinese companies to facilitate cooperation, as most German firms are of those scales.