CHANGCHUN, Dec. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder arrived in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province Tuesday, to continue his three-day working visit to China.

Upon his arrival, Schroeder, accompanied by Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan, presided at the ceremony for the inauguration of the 2nd automobile factory of Faw-Volkswagen Automotive Company Limited, one of the top 10 vehicle companies in China.

As a pioneer in Chinese auto market, FAW-VW has witnessed the fruits of years of development, Schroeder said, who was accompanied by a delegation of entrepreneurs from leading German companies.

Germany hopes that FAW-VW will continue its success in China, which will stimulate Chinese economic progress and maintain employment and investment opportunities in Germany, Schroeder said.

China and Germany have conducted outstanding economic and trade cooperation, especially in the automobile sector, Zeng said.

The fast development of FAW-VW gained strong support from the two governments and has become the model of Sino-German cooperation, Zeng said. The new factory indicates the two countries' cooperation has entered a higher stage, which will further promote the development of Chinese automobile industry.

FAW-VW's new car plant will double the Chinese major car manufacture's capacity to 66,000 vehicles per year. This is expected to help maintain the company's leadership in Chinese market.

Schroeder is scheduled to address a forum on the revitalization of the old industrial belt in northeast China's Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces on Wednesday.

During his stay in Beijing, Schroeder met with Chinese leaders including President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao. He also presided over a series of ceremonies for Sino-German cooperative projects.

It's Schroeder's sixth visit to China after he became chancellor in 1998 and his first visit to China this year.