Trade disputes loom over Merkel's China visit

Tensions over trade and Chinese investment in a German robotics firm dominated Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to Beijing Monday, with differences about steel and China's future market status on display. China has been pressing the European Union to grant it "market economy" status this year, making it harder for the bloc to levy anti-dumping tariffs even as Beijing is accused of selling excess steel cheaply on world markets at the cost of European jobs. At a press conference with Merkel, Chine