Posted 2019/7/8
A storekeeper in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, has been troubled by a two-euro coin after selling two bags of Chinese bean paste to visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her attendant.
Wang Mingguang, who runs a small store in Chengdu's Shen Xian Shu Market, said the Chancellor "shook hands with me and asked what's the best item in my store."
At Wang's recommendation, Merkel purchased a bag of Pixian bean paste with a five-yuan note. One of her attendants bought another one, giving Wang a two-euro coin.
However, the foreign coin cannot be exchanged for Chinese currency, and Wang said he "would keep Merkel's note and the coin as souvenirs."
Some netizens criticized Wang for charging more for the second bag, as the foreign coin equals 16.8 yuan.
Wang defended his actions, saying giving back or keeping the change was his decision to make. "Even if I wanted to return the change now, I wouldn't know who to give it to," he said.
To which netizens joked that Wang could give the extra 11.8 yuan to the Consulate of Germany in Chengdu.
After buying her own ingredients, Merkel learned how to cook kung pao chicken at a restaurant that day. This is her 7th trip to China as German Chancellor, leading a high-level economic delegation.
The two-euro coin is the highest value euro coin and has been used since the introduction of the euro (in its cash form) in 2002. All coins have a common reverse side and country-specific national sides.
Banks dealing in currency exchange don't accept foreign coins, as coins would have to be shipped back to their countries of origin, and they're just too heavy - and therefore too costly - to ship, experts said.
