China, Germany vow closer cooperation

World
Europe

00:40

China's Vice President Wang Qishan said Beijing is keen to build on its comprehensive strategic partnership with Germany during his visit to the country from Thursday to Sunday.

In a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Wang hailed China's relationship with the European Union (EU) and said he was behind the bloc's efforts to integrate.

Wang said China can't develop itself in isolation from the world, nor can the world develop without the 1.4 billion Chinese people, and China advocates countries to together build a community of shared future for humankind.

Facing the profound and complex changes in the international situation, China always insists on doing its own share firstly, staying calm and clear-headed, showing composure, shouldering responsibility and reacting rationally, he noted.

China's Vice President Wang Qishan meets with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin, Germany, May 31, 2019. /Xinhua Photo

The Chinese vice president also said that China has always viewed Europe from a strategic height and with a long-term vision, and firmly supports European integration.

Merkel, meanwhile, praised China's economic development.

She stated that Germany and China, as well as Europe and China, share broad consensus on a wide range of issues, expressing Germany's willingness to strengthen communication, exchanges, and cooperation with China, and to improve the global governance system jointly with China.

She added that Germany supports multilateralism and the current world order, and is willing to work with China to improve international governance.

The Chinese vice president also held talks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

When meeting with Steinmeier, Wang said that China and Germany are both major world economies and major countries with great influence. The relations between the two countries have gone beyond the bilateral scope and bear global significance.

The vice president said in recent years the high-level contacts were frequent, and cooperation in all fields has been constantly deepened, adding he is willing to push for continuous development of the all-around strategic partnership through his visit.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas speaks during the weekly press conference in Berlin, May 8, 2019. /VCG Photo

President Steinmeier said that the current international landscape is complicated and turbulent, and multilateralism is under threat.

He noted that Germany highly values the ties with China, adding Germany is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China at all levels and to continue the pragmatic cooperation in Industry 4.0 and in other fields.

Germany and China, and Europe and China should join hands to maintain world peace and stability, free trade, and existing international orders, Steinmeier added.

While meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, Wang stressed that China and Germany share common interests in deepening pragmatic cooperation, safeguarding multilateralism and free trade, as well as improving global governance and world peace.

Looking to the next stage of the bilateral relations, Wang advocates that both sides should set the right direction for Sino-German, Sino-European win-win cooperation, encourage the enhanced exchanges in ideology, talents as well as science and technology, cement the friendship between the two peoples, and inject more positive energy into the world.

Echoing Wang's comments, Maas said Germany is willing to strengthen strategic communication and cooperation on multilateral issues with China, as well as to jointly tackle global challenges, safeguard multilateralism and international order, promote the liberalization of international trade.

(Cover: German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes China's Vice President Wang Qishan (L) in Berlin, Germany, May 31, 2019. /Reuters Photo)

(With input from Xinhua)