Merkel seeks to ease eurozone fears in China

China: German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to reassure Beijing over the crisis in the eurozone and urged China to press Tehran on its nuclear programme as she began an official visit on Thursday.

"The euro as our common currency has made Europe stronger," Merkel said in a speech ahead of talks with China's Premier Wen Jiabao.

"The European Union -- in particular those states that have adopted the euro -- has made considerable progress in the last two years."

Merkel's three-day trip is aimed partly at boosting confidence in the eurozone after a sovereign debt crisis that has seen a wave of credit-rating downgrades and brought Greece to the brink of bankruptcy.

Europe is China's top export market and Beijing has watched with increasing concern as the debt crisis has deepened, repeatedly urging European leaders to get a grip on the situation. The leader of Europe's biggest economy said EU members were now "deeply convinced" that they were on the right track with a treaty agreed by most EU nations on Monday that aims to stop countries from overspending. AFP