Chinese Premier Li Qiang held talks with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz in Beijing on Tuesday, with both sides pledging to enhance cooperation and bring bilateral ties to a new height. Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership, Li said that under the joint efforts of both sides, China-Germany relations have been developing steadily on the whole, with remarkable progress in dialog and cooperation.
President Xi Jinping met with Scholz on Tuesday morning, charting the course for the further development of China-Germany relations, according to Li.
He said that China stands ready to work together with Germany to enhance mutual understanding and trust in dialog, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results in cooperation, and bring bilateral relationship to a new height with new outcomes.
Li called on the two sides to give full play to the role of China-Germany inter-governmental consultation and other dialog mechanisms at all levels, enhance coordination and planning to advance cooperation, and promote more balanced and optimized development of bilateral trade.
The two countries should foster new growth drivers in cooperation on new energy vehicle among others, further expand people-to-people exchanges, and provide greater support for exchanges and cooperation in local affairs, culture, sports, science and education, he said.
China will continue to provide a better investment environment for German and other foreign enterprises to invest and start businesses in China, Li stressed.
He expressed the hope that Germany will ease the export restrictions on high-tech products to China, take concrete measures to provide a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises in Germany, and view the issue of production capacity objectively and dialectically from a market-oriented and global perspective.
He hopes the European Union could follow market principles and fair competition, and be cautious in whether taking trade remedy measures, Li said.
For his part, Scholz noted that China is an important partner of Germany, and said that Germany is willing to join hands with China to enhance dialog and communication, deepen pragmatic cooperation, advance people-to-people exchanges, and jointly tackle global challenges such as climate change, in order to make greater progress in Germany-China all-round strategic partnership.
Stressing that Germany opposes trade protectionism, he said the country will make concerted efforts with China to create a level playing field.
Both sides agreed to implement the outcomes of the seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation, and continue to deepen cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, investment, as well as science and technology.
Li and Scholz witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents on automated and connected driving, among others, after the talks.
Chinese premier holds talks with German chancellor
Chinese premier holds talks with German chancellor
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
