Chinese premier urges Chinese, German firms to enhance cooperation

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Tuesday that Chinese and German enterprises should strengthen industrial and innovation cooperation and foster new growth areas for cooperation.

Li made the statement when attending a symposium of the China-Germany Economic Advisory Committee with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Beijing.

The symposium was also attended by more than 20 entrepreneurs from the two countries.

Noting that China is the largest developing country and Germany is the largest economy in Europe, Li said the development of the two countries presents important opportunities for each other.

China is willing to work with Germany to expand, optimize and strengthen bilateral economic and trade cooperation to bring more benefits to the people of the two countries, Li added.

The premier said that the two sides should work together to carry forward the good tradition of practical cooperation, maintain an open and fair market environment, and enlarge room for mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation.

The Chinese government is willing to work with the German government to provide more policy support to make bilateral business cooperation smoother and more efficient, and promote sustained, steady and sound development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, according to Li.

The recovering trend of the Chinese economy has kept consolidating and strengthening, Li said.

Stressing that China will not change its determination or halt its steps to expand high-level opening up, Li said the country will further shorten the negative list for foreign investment, and ensure national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises.

China has been constantly adjusting and optimizing the arrangements for cross-border data flow, and will continue to listen to the views of foreign companies on a regular basis, and actively respond to their reasonable demands, Li said.

Practical measures will be taken to ensure that more foreign companies, including German companies, are willing to come to China, stay in the country, and achieve good development in the country, he added.

The premier expressed his hope that entrepreneurs of the two countries will actively promote China-Germany cooperation, and serve as a bridge to enhance mutual understanding and trust between the two sides.

Scholz said that China is Germany's most important economic and trade partner, and the two countries have maintained close economic and trade links and benefited from their relations.

Germany attaches great importance to maintaining and developing its economic and trade relations with China, opposes decoupling, and will further deepen Germany-China economic and trade exchanges and expand practical cooperation, said Scholz.

Germany welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in the country, he added.

Li and Scholz attended a joint press conference after the symposium.

Scholz is on a three-day visit to China starting on Sunday, which has also taken him to Chongqing City in southwest China and the financial hub of Shanghai. Earlier in the day, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Scholz, with the two leaders extensively exchanging views on the development of relations and cooperation between China and Germany.

Chinese premier urges Chinese, German firms to enhance cooperation

Chinese premier urges Chinese, German firms to enhance cooperation

The year 2024 celebrates the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties, and it also heralds the China-France Year of Cultural Tourism, a celebration aimed at bolstering cultural and people-to-people exchanges through a series of enriching events.

During a special episode focused on this milestone, cultural experts and influencers from both nations shared insights into the depth of Sino-French cultural interactions.

The discussion, livestreamed from Shanghai on April 22, began with a historical overview, notably when then-Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai introduced President Georges Pompidou to the Yungang Grottoes, a renowned Buddhist cave site in north China's Shanxi. These caves feature intricate carvings that reflect religious and cultural syntheses from the 5th and 6th centuries.

David Gosset, founder of the China-Europe-America Global Initiative, commented on the geopolitical context of the initial outreach.

"People have to remember that we were in the middle of the Cold War, therefore, the world was divided. For a Western country like France to reach out to China, and of course vice versa, it's a beautiful moment, historical diplomatic breakthroughs, means that despite all the geopolitical difficulties, a spirit of cooperation and friendship can prevail," said Gosset.

Xie Dingwei, executive director of the Bund One Art Museum, emphasized the importance of preserving cultural heritage.

"We need to preserve these cultural heritages. We not [just] preserve the sculptures or the buildings itself, but also, it gives us a chance to see hundreds of years ago, how our craftsmanship, our architecture, our human beings, we have reached [such] high levels, which brings us to the present time these treasures, these values. This is something we really cannot afford to lose. Culture is a common language; it doesn't matter you're Eastern art or Western art, somehow they can be connected. So this is something I think it creates a communication channel between the nations," said Xie.

The cultural connection was recently demonstrated during a meeting last April between French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they enjoyed the performance of "Flowing Water" played on the Guqin by a Chinese artist, symbolizing the flowing friendship between the two nations.

"This communication on art subjects between the nations and different peoples are really, really important. It goes beyond politics, beyond the differences between the nations. But you all go to getting closer to understanding each other," said Xie.

Gosset also supported the notion of fostering unity through cultural platforms, aligning with President Xi Jinping's idea of building a community with a shared future.

"I am completely aligned with this idea. We are on the same boat. Our world is frightened by too many divisions. And I think, what is important is to support the forces that can unite us, so it can be music, and certainly museums, and you need leaders with a vision that does not separate us," said Gosset.

Six decades of China-France diplomatic relations highlighted by cultural exchange