berlin. >> hello and welcome to the "journal." the euro, iran, and syria top the agenda as germany's chancellor holds talks in >> and deutsche bank as the outgoing ceo delivers disappointing results and warns of big challenges ahead.

>> anchor is mounting in egypt in the wake of deadly soccer riots. many people gathered outside the interior ministry and clashed with police in riot gear. they claim that wednesday night's riots were premeditated. 74 people were killed and at least 1000 injured when fans stormed the soccer field at a stadium in the northern city of port said. angry egyptians said the tragedy was a result of negligence and a lack of army and police presence. >> supporters of the clever furious about what happened on wednesday night. many of the dead are fans of the team, killed in the stampede when supporters of the other team started to write it. there is anger in port said, too, where the disaster took place. some think there's more to it that lax security.

>> what happened was a planned massacre. yesterday, electricity was cut at the stadium and security forces were stopped from doing their duty. >> some 3000 police are said to a ban on duty when the game ended with a surprise victory by the home team. fans stormed the field, attacking visiting players and fans. in cairo, military rulers was accused of deliberately causing chaos to give them an excuse to keep the state of emergency in place. parliament met in emergency session to discuss the events. politicians from the biggest party, the muslim brotherhood, also blamed authorities for the deaths. >> this massacre, shorter and many television channels, and witnesses were in the stadium, prove the security forces were neglectful of performing their duties. >> as protesters gathered in tahrir square, there were violent clashes with police.

many football fans played a big role in the protests against the regime of hosni mubarak last year. now, the accused security forces of using wednesday to settle old scores. >> the german foreign minister is echoing calls for regime change in syria. while on a tour of the middle east, he said openly for the first time that syrian president bashar al assad had no future and had to allow a peaceful transition of power. he made the statements in talks with the defense minister. stoping iran's nuclear program was also high on the agenda, and both men downplayed talk of military action. most of all, the stress the importance -- importance of sanctions, saying it was the goal of diplomacy to avoid wars. nato appears to be speeding up its plans to end its combat mission in afghanistan. france, the u.s., and the wider alliances said they want afghan forces to be in control of

combat forces by mid-2013, a year earlier than expected. in another strategic development, nato defense ministers have agreed on germany as the base for missile defense shield. >> the command center for the controversial missile shield is to be located at the air force base in western germany. nato says the system will help defend europe from missiles launched in the middle east. but moscow has been slow to accept the idea. >> russia is reluctant at the moment, but it is important that russia participates in order to make clear that this project is not aimed at russia. >> afghanistan is another issue troubling the defense ministers. washington and paris have announced plans to shift their focus from fighting to training as early as next year. no big deal, nato officials say.

>> based on all i have heard and all i have seen, i think all allies and all partners stick to the decisions we took in lisbon. that is the road map leading to the transition of lead security responsibility to the afghans completed by the end of 2014. >> but that has not stopped some nato members from hoping to end combat operations sooner rather than later. >> joining us now for more on this story is our brussels correspondent. what is driving the courage to get out of afghanistan sooner than later? >> growing discontent amongst the public's eye in most parts of europe and indeed, across the atlantic in america. remember, this war has been waged now for 10 years. there is a genuine sense that people are fed up with it. it sounds a bit cynical, but it has been a long and costly war for all concerned, and any sign of slippage in combat troops is

bound to be seen as a sign of discontent and a sign that publics will not tolerate it anymore. and remember, america is suggesting reducing its troop numbers there. so it is france. but election years in those countries. >> why do you think nato has chosen germany is the new base for its missile defense shield? >> part because it is as close as it dares to russia without triggering too much of an attack from the russians, but of course, they were ready to get out of this. there will also be the missile shield much closer to russia in poland. i think unless the americans can convince russia ideas all aimed at defending against missile threats from iran and there is no strategic threat to russia, this will become a bone of contention. >> we thank you very much for that. pakistan's prime minister agreed

to appear before the country's supreme court on charges of content. the court summoned him to appear by february 13. the prime minister faces indictment for refusing to reopen corruption cases against the country's president. his lawyer told reporters that the prime minister would comply. his government believes he has immunity from prosecution theory that have accused judges of conspiring with the military to wage a witch hunt against in. the crisis in the eurozone is top of angela merkel agenda as she visits china. the german chancellor is trying to raise support for the single currency. in a joint press conference, the chinese premier, wen jiabao, said the chinese were considering putting money into the rescue fund. china certainly has plenty of cash to spend. then let angela merkel was hoping for a firm commitment, it looks like she will be heading

home disappointed, but china's leader did raise hopes by saying he will consider contributing money to the eurozone's rescue funds. "china will continue to support the euro and contribute to its stability. we have faith in europe's economy and in the euro. we believe the your will continue to be an important currency in the future -- we believe the euro will continue to be an important currency in the future." while merkel did not directly ask for support of china, she explained how reforms would help the spoke remind on beijing pose a tight clamp on internet freedom. >> we are of the opinion that beijing's reactions are very harsh. i will repeat time and again that a plurality of opinions can be very rewarding and even helpful to the development of a country. the money and freedom of speech

were not the only items on the agenda. germany would like to see china's support security council resolutions against iran and syria, but here, too, beijing has refused to budge. >> more on the economic ties between china and the eu coming up lter on, but it seems the debt crisis is still affecting banks. >> the deutsche bank ceo bawling out on a bit of a negative note. during shares were among the losers on the dax thursday after it issued disappointing fourth quarter earnings and warned that 2012 will remain challenging economically and politically. the outgoing ceo, who will be battling out in may that the annual general meeting of the bank, had hoped to leave his successes with a clean sheet and some big profits, but it is clear now that that will not be the case. >> ackerman was forced to post disappointing results for his final year in charge. he wanted to leave a parting

gift of profit, but the 2011 figure was less than he'd hoped. >> the markets were very bad and especially in europe where the eurozone debt crisis has a substantial influence on the markets. >> like other banks, deutsche has also had to grapple with the crisis, and it is one of greece's prep creditors. they are having to take a large write-down to stop the country from going bankrupt. >> we will probably meet in athens again at the weekend. i am still convinced we will find a solution. it is not really in the hands of private creditors anymore. we have made an attractive offer. that would help a lot. the question now is what the other parties involved decide to do. the mall while talks continue in athens, observers are already starting to i another ailing euro economy. >> right now, markets are somewhat skeptical about portugal.

if greece should fall, which is something we must avoid at all costs, then we cannot rule out the possibility portugal could be next on that long, long list. >> normally an optimist, he is clearly concerned about the debt crisis and the threat it poses to the real economy, financial system, and consequently, to deutsche bank. them and the euro debt crisis, legal problems in the united states, as well as a new leadership structure -- these are all challenges deutsche bank has to surmount in the coming year. it is pretty clear the year has just begun, but 2012 will be a tough road ahead. >> shares in frankfurt rose for the third day running on thursday, locking in fresh six- month highs. our correspondent sent us this summary of the session from the frankfurt stock exchange. >> traders had a pretty quiet day at the stock market, on the discussing this with the numbers of torture bank, which posted a

real disappointment. the shares first slump, but have recovered. possibly, -- the german dax was again on the upside, backed by successful bond auctions of france and spain. both countries could get easily money at the lower interest rate than expected. >> in frankfurt, we stay for a closer look at thursday's numbers. germany's blue-chip dax finished higher by 0.6%. the euro stocks 50 also closing higher. across the atlantic in new york, the dow trading flat, having a bit of a recession there, trying to trade higher but not managing to do so. on currency markets, the euro trading at a value of $1.3141. last year was a bad one for insurance companies. bills from natural disasters with heavily on their bottom

lines, including that of industry giant munich re. japan tsunami crisis cost the world's biggest insurer 1.5 billion euros. expect profits of just 600 million euros for the year, a 75% drop from 2010. two months after a german print machine maker filed for bankruptcy protection, it looks like two of its three plants have been saved from closure. british engineering firm langley is buying one plant and says it expects the operation to return to profit this year. however, the rescue will involve laying off more than half of the factory's workers. the german engineering sector says it is feeling the global economic slowdown. orders in november and december

were down 10% year-on-year, but german firms remain optimistic because confirmed orders for the year as a whole are up by an impressive 10%. it is one of germany's most vital sectors, employing nearly 1 million workers. stock exchanges are buzzing on news of a potential megamerger in the making. swiss mining companies are working on a deal that would create a commodities giant with around 60 billion euros. glencor is the world's largest trader in raw materials. after years of background discussions, this is the first confirmation of a formal merger talks being under way. even so, the company says the proposal is only under consideration and is by no means a done deal. the company has until march 1 to make a firm offer. >> thanks for that, steve. it is called in europe and it is set to stay that way for a while -- it is cold in europe.

temperatures have been reaching minus 9 degrees celsius at their highest. in parts of eastern europe, the situation is a lot worse. over 60 people have died in ukraine alone. unusual scenes are impressing tourists. >> even brussels' famous fountain is feeling the chill. tourists at the belgian capital usually come to see the little boy releasing a steady stream. >> overall, i guess, to see it, you will have to come back another time in brussels to see him in action. >> across europe, the winter weather is painting bizarre landscapes. in marseilles, palms and cacti are covered in snow. ice formations like these have left the russian harbor in quiet summer. it may be a winter wonderland for some, but for others, it is a nightmare. nine more people died overnight in poland, and across eastern and central europe, at least 100

people died this week amid temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees celsius. most victims are homeless like here in ukraine, hardest hit by the cold. tens of thousands have visited these heated tents to get a warm meal. transporters' also buckled under the weight of the snow. the airport in bologna, italy, was forced to close for a day, leaving hundreds stranded. in russia, streets have turned chaotic with many cars left stock in the snow. weather forecasters said the situation could get worse as temperatures are expected to sink again in coming days. >> one boxing coach has died at the age of 90. a sports legend in his own right, he trained in 15 world champion title holders, including the homily, sugar ray leonard, and george foreman. his trademark was his ability to motivate his fighters. he was made a member of the international boxing hall of fame in 1994. one of his last public appearances was at ali's 70th

birthday party just two weeks ago. stay tuned. i'll be back with a look at china after a short break. and not go away. -- do not go away. >> you would like to study in germany? and you have still got lots of questions? all you need to know about studying in germany is here. information on courses, admission requirements, qualifications, cost, and much more. www.dw-world.de study in germany, the first pot of call for anyone interested in studying in germany.

bee >> welcome back. the crisis in the eurozone is the big issue for angela merkel on her two-day visit to china. she arrived in beijing with the upbeat message, saying things in europe or on the right track. merkel hopes the pact will restore confidence in the markets and persuade big investors like china to support european countries in the crisis. our team in beijing went out to hear what people there think about china's relations with europe at this time.

>> it will be hard for europe to get out of the crisis by itself. other countries should help. >> everyone should sort out their own problems. that is the best way. >> china has a large population and a huge domestic market. in a crisis, we are the best ones to help ourselves. >> the chinese government is better at controlling its economy because it has tougher ways of doing so in europe. then the chinese people can cope pbetter with hard work and are more careful with their money. europeans are the opposite. they should not be so wasteful.

>> i worry about prices going up and whether the chinese economy will grow or shrink. >> i make pop music for the chinese market. the crisis does not affect me. >> that last comment from the musician there was pretty relaxed. the crisis does not affect him, he says, but that is not the view among china's leaders. the chinese economy is still heavily dependent on exports to the rest of the world. beijing has been trying to shift the focus to domestic sources of growth, but the idea of china decoupling from the west has not happened yet. as europe looks set to stay in the economic doldrums in the short term, at least, many chinese companies depend on the european market and are struggling. we take a look at how they are adapting to the crisis and what

kind of strategies we can expect to see from the government in beijing. >> wicker baskets for export all around the world. this factory in southern china makes baskets only for foreign customers. but after the onset of the eurozone debt crisis, the company saw orders from europe drop by 30%. 150 workers were let go. >> in addition to that, raw materials and labor costs are getting more expensive. we do not have very many orders, but wages increase by 30% last year. and the nearby is a company that makes shower curtains. it has also seen a decline in orders from europe. they are down by 20%. the eurozone debt crisis has caused big headaches for the owner. >> first and foremost, our government should help chinese exporters.

we need help so we do not have to pass our rising costs to our customers. china should also help europe if it can. when europe does well, so does china. >> it is a point the chinese leadership is well aware of. china needs to europe to sell its products to and to invest in. it has already brought -- bought up european government debt. how much is a closely guarded secret. >> there is a strategic necessity for sure. they want to diversify their $3.20 trillion in foreign- exchange reserves away from the united states, and they look at that -- for that through the european union, but they want to have very clear and firm guarantees that ultimately, these investments are going to pay off and that they will see their money back. >> late last year, china's biggest state-owned hydroelectric power company bought into the portuguese market to the tune of 2.7

billion euros. it was taken as a sign that china would rather invest in european companies then the debt of its government. china wants to become the biggest player in the renewable energy market. chinese companies have been taking stakes in european partner firms, gaining access to technical expertise and bolstering their competitiveness. china is willing and able to help europe, not charity but by pursuing its business interests. >> well, european companies are also looking to expand their interests in china. doing business there can bring huge opportunities and profit, considering that labor and production costs are much lower compared to year in europe, but many european companies say they face a lot of difficulties gaining a foothold in china. here is a look now at how the german wind power specialist

nordex has been getting on with its production site in china. >> these gigantic blades up to 50 meters long our components for wind turbines made in china. half of all wind turbines are manufactured in china. it is a huge market, and the company is drawing on its years of experience and expertise to secure a share of it. they plan and develop products at their headquarters in hamburg. >> we go to chinese suppliers with the drawings and specifications and see whether they are able to meet the demands. we support them if necessary. if there are language or technical difficulties, to make sure they are able to make these components. >> for a number of years, the company has run two plants in china. it makes and assembles the

components from the smallest screw to finish roller book -- rollerblades on-site -- but finished rotor blades on site. competition is fierce in the chinese wind power industry with some 16 manufacturers fighting for contracts , fornordex has a technological advantage. >> of course, there are not chinese companies which can develop wind turbines on their own, no doubt about that, but they do not have the quarter century of experience we have it in europe and the u.s., and often, the devil is in the details. >> for german industry, hamburger is the door to the chinese market and vice versa. 1/3 of the containers going through the port of hamburg are bound for or coming from china. the volume of cargo has soared

30% in one year. >> china was the savior for german companies during the 2008 economic crisis. while sales fell in many of the countries where german industry was active and in our domestic market, they rose substantially in china. growth rates were much higher than expected. >> 4500 german companies are now active in the country. most of them are mid-sized businesses. >> the biggest problem for german businesses in china is that they are not treated equally with chinese companies in the tendering of public contracts. that means most tenders from the state, in charge of public projects, go to chinese companies. >> wind energy company nordex knows that problem well. the company hopes binges with local partners will help secure state contracts and improve its share of the chinese wind power markets.

>> chinese relations with europe. that has been the focus of our "in depth" today. thanks for joining me here on dw-tv. stay tuned. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--