The consensus between China and Germany far outweighs their differences, and bilateral cooperation far outweighs competition, Chinese Ambassador to Germany Wu Ken said during an interview with German daily newspaper Berliner Zeitung, which was published on Saturday.

On 'comprehensive China strategy'

When asked his take on the "comprehensive China strategy," a policy to minimize its economic reliance on Beijing, released by the German government, Wu said the consensus between China and Germany far outweighs their differences, adding that the two sides are "partners, not rivals."

The biggest risk to global stability and economic recovery at present are some countries' promotion of division, confrontation and decoupling, Wu said, adding that the current challenges and problems facing Germany are not caused by China.

Seeing China as a "competitor and institutional rival" does not serve the common interests of the two countries, the ambassador said.

China hopes that Germany will uphold a rational policy toward China, Wu said, adding that ideologically-oriented policy toward China will only exacerbate misunderstanding and misjudgment.

On 'academic espionage' remarks

It is reported that German Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger recently warned of "academic espionage" by Chinese students studying in Germany. Meanwhile, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution issued a security alert recently, listing certain Chinese agencies as intelligence agencies.

Wu said the remarks and alert were "hysterical, almost insane."

"Some countries have carried out large-scale monitoring and there have been reports that Germany's highest level was monitored, but I have never heard of any security alert issued by the German side," he said.

The so-called "security alert" is purely political manipulation and will only poison cooperation and stigmatize relevant groups, Wu said, urging some people and institutions in Germany to manage their own affairs well.

On Ukraine crisis

"We have never given up our efforts to promote peace talks and to end the crisis," Wu said in response to questions over the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

China is one of the few countries that have maintained good communication with Russia and Ukraine, he noted, adding it recently sent a special representative to attend the international conference on Ukraine in Jeddah, which reflects China's constructive attitude of always being committed to peace talks on the issue.

In terms of discussions with the U.S., Wu said both sides have maintained communication on major international issues. "My impression is that, the United States, despite its special influence on the European security architecture, does not seem to be too interested in realizing a political settlement of the crisis as soon as possible," said Wu.

Wu said the Ukraine crisis is a matter of European security order, in which the European and U.S. sides should play a key role. Otherwise, no matter what efforts China makes, it will not be possible to quickly resolve the crisis.

(Cover: File photo of Chinese Ambassador to Germany Wu Ken. /Chinese Embassy in Germany)