Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with visiting German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Beijing on Monday, to discuss relations between their two countries.
At the meeting, Han said that since the formation of Germany's new government, China and Germany have maintained high-level close interaction. In May this year, Han added, President Xi Jinping spoke with Chancellor Friedrich Merz over phone, providing strategic guidance for further deepening China-Germany relations.
Noting that China and Germany are important economic and trading partners which can achieve win-win results through mutually beneficial cooperation, Han said China is willing to work with Germany to deliver on the important common understandings reached between top leaders of the two countries, enhance communication and dialogue, and work to bring the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership to a new level.
Han said the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, and China hopes that the German side will abide by the one-China principle. China also expects Germany, as a core major country in the European Union, to play an active role in promoting healthy development of China-EU relations, Han noted.
Speaking on the same occasion, Wadephul said the new German government attaches great importance to developing ties with China and firmly adheres to the one-China policy.
Germany looks forward to closer high-level exchanges with China and deepened cooperation on all fronts, and is willing to be a reliable partner of cooperation with China, Wadephul said.
Chinese vice president meets German foreign minister on relations
China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with visiting German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Beijing on Monday, and called on German companies to seize opportunities and deepen cooperation with Chinese partners in traditional and emerging sectors.
Wang noted that economic and trade cooperation between China and Germany has helped both sides develop industrial integration, interconnected markets, and complementary technologies, stabilizing and deepening bilateral relations, while also promoting the healthy development of China's trade and economic relations with the European Union (EU).
"We welcome German companies to seize new opportunities, consolidate cooperation in traditional sectors including machinery, automobiles, and chemicals, and tap the potential for cooperation in emerging businesses such as clean energy, intelligent manufacturing and biopharmaceuticals," said Wang.
Wang also noted that the current trend of politicizing trade and economic issue is on the rise, and global industrial and supply chains are being severely disrupted as a result. China and Germany, as well as China and the EU, should uphold free trade and safeguard the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, Wang said.
Wadephul said Germany opposes protectionism and considers China its most important trading partner. He added that Germany wants to maintain and expand the positive momentum of cooperation.
"China is a driver of innovation and a major hub for high technology in many aspects. We are very keen to maintain exchanges with China both economically and scientifically," said Wadephul.
China and Germany are the world's second and third biggest economies. According to German data, China was once again Germany's largest trading partner in the first three quarters of this year.
China’s commerce minister meets with German FM, calling for deepening cooperation
