German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to China is fruitful and meaningful, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
Mao made the remarks in response to a question about the outcomes of Merz's visit to China from Wednesday to Thursday. Mao said that this is Chancellor Merz's first visit to China since taking office, and he is also the first foreign leader China has received in the Year of the Horse. On Wednesday, President Xi Jinping met with Chancellor Merz, and Premier Li Qiang held talks with him. The two sides issued the Joint Press Statement Between the People's Republic of China and the Federal Republic of Germany, she said.
The leaders of both countries believe that the current international situation is undergoing the most profound changes since the end of World War II, Mao said, noting that as the world's second and third largest economies and globally influential major countries, China and Germany should strengthen strategic communication, enhance strategic mutual trust, uphold opening and cooperation, firmly support multilateralism and free trade, resolutely safeguard the status of the United Nations, adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and continuously deepen the all-round strategic partnership between China and Germany, so as to bring more benefits to the peoples of both countries and also contribute to world peace and prosperity.
Both sides agreed to continue holding and making full use of mechanism dialogues between the two countries including the inter-governmental consultation mechanism. The two sides also said that despite respective concerns on some specific economic and trade issues, the two countries stand ready to have exchanges and enhance understanding in a candid, friendly and open way, properly resolve each other’s concerns through dialogue, and ensure long-term, balanced, reliable and sustainable development of economic and trade ties, she said.
"Pragmatic cooperation is the most prominent feature of China-Germany relations. This time, 30 heads from leading German enterprises in various industries accompanied Chancellor Merz on his visit to China, fully demonstrating Germany's expectations and confidence in further deepening pragmatic cooperation with China. The two sides will strengthen the alignment of China's 15th Five-Year Plan with Germany's development strategies to achieve higher-level mutual benefit and win-win results. During the visit, the two premiers jointly witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in areas of green transition, customs, sports, and media, and attended the China-Germany economic advisory committee meeting, which was attended by more than 60 entrepreneurs from both countries. German companies have expressed their optimism about China's economic prospects and willingness to further expand investment in China and share in the opportunities brought by Chinese modernization," said Mao.
"Chancellor Merz's visit has yielded fruitful and significant results, once again demonstrating that both sides are committed to maintaining a stable and constructive bilateral relationship, further deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, and properly handling differences through candid, open, and mutually respectful dialog. China is willing to take this visit as an opportunity to work with Germany to open a new chapter in China-Germany relations and inject stability and positive energy into a world fraught with turbulence and uncertainty," she said.
Spokeswoman on German chancellor's China visit
Spokeswoman on German chancellor's China visit
