China is prepared to buy €6bn ($7.9bn) of Spanish government bonds as part of its commitment to help the eurozone out of its sovereign debt crisis, according to Spanish government sources quoted by El País, the pro-government newspaper.

It was the first time a precise number had been attached to repeated Chinese promises to buy Spanish bonds, although it was not confirmed by Li Keqiang, China’s deputy premier, who is on a visit to Spain, Germany and the UK.

Mr Li arrived in Berlin on Thursday ahead of a series of meetings with members of the German government. German officials said it was possible Angela Merkel, the chancellor, who is to meet Mr Li today, could use the talks to find out more about Beijing’s plans to buy eurozone government bonds.