27/03/2019
On the 26th March, President Xi Jinping met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris when she was attending the closing ceremony of the Sino-French Global Governance Forum.
Xi Jinping pointed out that the uncertainty and instability in the current international situation have risen, but the pragmatic cooperation between China and Germany has maintained a steady development momentum. In 2018, China has been Germany's global largest trading partner in the last three years and the actual investment of German companies in China increased by nearly 140% in 2018. Chinese government has already determined the goals and ideas for continuing to deepen reform, expand opening up, and promote high-quality economic development. China's determination to adhere to openness is firm and it is also sincere in promoting and expanding cooperation with Germany and Europe. China would love to work with Germany to continue to expand the China-Germany cooperation and benefit the folks in two countries.
Xi Jinping emphasized that Ms. Prime Minister has repeatedly expressed her firm belief in cooperation and mutual benefit. The Chinese side also believes that cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win is the only correct choice for solving various global problems. Under the current situation, the significance of strengthening Sino-German cooperation and China-EU cooperation has transcended bilateral scope. Xi Jinping put forward three opinions on the development of Sino-German relations.
The first is to establish a model of cooperation and win-win relationship for the world by deepening Sino-German cooperation. China and Germany are not competitors or opponents. Cooperation and mutual benefit are the main lines of Sino-German relations. Both sides can increase cooperation in different areas such as artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, new materials, new energy, life sciences, and smart cities. Germany is supposed to create a friendly and open political environment for Chinese companies to invest and develop in Germany.
The second is to inject more stability into the world by leading China-EU cooperation. China regards Europe as an important force for promoting multi-polarization in the world and has always been a staunch supporter of the road of solidarity and self-improvement in Europe. As the world's two major stable forces and the two major economies, the steady progress of China-EU relations is in the common interest of both sides, and it is also conducive to inject more stability into the current complex and ever-changing world. It is hoped that the German side will exert important and positive influences and promote the EU to focus on cooperation in developing relations with China and eliminate interference.
The third is to maintain multilateralism by promoting global governance jointly. China would like to work with Germany to safeguard the international system with the UN as its core. The two sides should strengthen close coordination within the framework of the G20 and make greater contributions to improving global economic governance. The "One Belt, One Road Initiative" will help promote international economic cooperation and promote the construction of an open world economy. China is willing to expand third-party cooperation with Germany.
Merkel said that Germany and China have broad common interests. In recent years, bilateral relations have developed well, and close exchanges and cooperation have been maintained at all levels and in all fields. The German side hopes to deepen the German-Chinese economic and trade relations in the digital era and is willing to participate in the second "One Belt, One Road" international cooperation summit forum actively. Germany is looking forward to making full use of the market opportunities which are brought by China's expansion and opening up, and will also provide a fair and good market environment for Chinese companies to invest in Germany. Germany is committed to promoting the EU-China cooperation and advocates that Europe and China work together to maintain multilateralism.
