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German Chancellor Angela Merkel has met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on her visit to China amid tension in both Beijing and the European Union over trade issues with the United States and Washington's rejection of the Iran nuclear deal.

Merkel met Thursday with Li while leading a business delegation on her trip to China. Her trip follows visits to Washington to meet with President Donald Trump and to Sochi, Russia for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over recent weeks.

Despite tensions in relations with the U.S., German officials have been keen to stress their continued commitment to trans-Atlantic ties and dismiss suggestions that Germany is seeking alternative alliances, even as they find common ground with Russia and China on the Iran nuclear deal and other issues.