On November 23, on the sidelines of the 20th Group of 20 (G20) Summit, the Chinese premier Li Qiang met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to chart a course for deeper dialogue and cooperation between China and Germany.
Highlighting their status as key economic and trade partners since diplomatic ties were established 53 years ago, Li Qiang also recalled the phone conversation between President Xi Jinping and Chancellor Merz in May, which charted the course for deepening bilateral relations. He stressed that mutual respect and win-win cooperation must guide bilateral relations and that both governments should properly handle core interests and major concerns to build a stable, sustainable and high-quality strategic partnership.
Looking ahead, Li outlined plans to expand pragmatic cooperation in emerging fields such as new energy, intelligent manufacturing, biomedicine, hydrogen energy technology and intelligent driving. He said that China stands ready to work with Germany to seize development opportunities and drive industrial transformation with an open, innovative approach.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union. Li urged Germany to help the EU adopt a long-term perspective, broaden its vision and uphold its role as China’s partner. He also called for closer coordination in multilateral forums like the United Nations and the G20 to promote global governance, safeguard multilateralism and free trade, and advance peace and development.
Chancellor Merz echoed the commitment to openness and collaboration, praising the sound development of Germany-China ties and the complementary nature of their economies. He noted that China’s 15th Five-Year Plan offers new opportunities for Germany and the EU, and pledged to deepen bilateral political, economic and technological cooperation.
Both leaders agreed that as beneficiaries and supporters of economic globalization, China and Germany will strengthen communication in international affairs, uphold the multilateral trading system anchored by the WTO, and work together to foster global stability and prosperity.
Reference(s):
Premier Li urges China, Germany to boost dialogue, address concerns
cgtn.com
