German Chancellor and leader of German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Angela Merkel (C) shakes hands with leader of German Social Democratic Party (SPD) Martin Schulz (R) after a joint press conference at the headquarters of SPD, in Berlin, Germany, on Jan. 12, 2018. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD) on Friday achieved a breakthrough in their exploratory talks aimed at forming a new coalition government, local media reported. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)