This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Germany diplomatic relations. Interviewed by Xinhua reporters, Chinese ambassador to Germany Wu Ken expressed readiness to work together with the German side to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, embrace a global vision from a long-term perspective, forge ahead and give full play to the stabilizing, constructive and leading role of China-Germany relations, and maintain peace and tranquility in the world.

Over the past 50 years, the bilateral relations between China and Germany have seen great progress, and exchanges and cooperation in various fields have been deepened and expanded, said Wu. Since the new German government took office, the leaders of the two countries have maintained close strategic communication and navigated the development of China-Germany relations.

"The two countries have taken an extraordinary journey of joint development and mutual achievements hand in hand, demonstrating a successful model of mutually beneficial cooperation between countries with different social systems, history, culture and stages of development," he said.

Wu said that economic and trade cooperation is known as the "ballast" for China-Germany relations. Germany is one of the first developed countries in the West to set up joint ventures in China since the founding of the PRC, and to carry out scientific and technological cooperation with China. The first "foreign factory manager" after China's reform and opening up was a German.

Today, trade volume between the two countries per day is 2.4 times the annual volume in the first few years since the establishment of their diplomatic relations. Germany is China's most important trading partner in Europe, and China has also become Germany's largest trading partner for six consecutive years.

Not long ago, the first plant at the new Zhanjiang Verbund site of German chemical giant BASF in Guangdong province, for integrated chemical production was put into operation; at the same time, Germany is also becoming a top destination of investment for Chinese enterprises, with CATL, Gotion High-tech, and SVOLT Energy landing investments in Germany. It shows that even though a backlash against globalization is rising, China and Germany still have a strong willingness for cooperation, said Wu.

More than 70 dialogue mechanisms including governmental consultations, 103 pairs of friendly provincial (city) relations, and exchanges covering strategy, finance, humanities, science and education, health and other fields have given more vitality and creativity to the relationship between China and Germany, said Wu. More than 150 Chinese universities offer German language-related majors, over 30,000 people study Chinese in Germany, and over 50,000 Chinese students and scholars constitute the largest international student group in Germany.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, Mr. Wu Pei was invited to attend a Cloud Concert of China-Germany Youth held by the German grammar school Burggymnasium’s Chinese choir. Across the distance of mountains and seas, young people from both countries sang beautiful songs online in each other's language to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Germany, expressing their hopes and wishes for the friendship between the two countries. "I think this is the most real and vivid reflection of China-Germany friendship and the hope for the future of the bilateral relations," he said.

Developing China-Germany relations on a high level is like building a skyscraper. Over the past 50 years, the two countries have worked together to build a solid foundation of mutual respect, so that a towering building can rise from the ground. In the future, in the face of the complex international situation and constantly emerging risks and challenges, the two sides need to further strengthen the foundation and jointly withstand the storm.

"I believe that the skyscraper of China-Germany cooperation will stand strong as long as both sides firmly maintain the theme of dialogue and cooperation, enhance their correct knowledge of each other, properly manage differences, and expand common interests on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit," said Wu.

Wu stressed that China-Germany cooperation is the pacesetter of China-Europe cooperation. And as the two largest economies on the Asian and European continents, China and Germany share a wide range of common interests and responsibilities in safeguarding multilateralism and free trade, tackling global challenges such as the COVID-19 epidemic and climate change.

"I once compared the development of China-Germany relations to playing a melodious and harmonious piano piece, where exquisite skills are the foundation and the correct score is the key,” Wu said. “Seeking common ground while reserving differences to realize win-win cooperation is the correct score for China-Germany relations to move steadily and far." 

Wu said that standing at a new historical starting point, China-Germany relations should continue to play a stabilizing, constructive and leading role, which will not only benefit the two peoples, but also make an important contribution to peace and tranquility in the world.

(Xinhua News Agency, Berlin, October 10 - Reported by Li Chao and Huang Yan)

Published on Guangming Daily ( Oct. 13, 2022, P12)

Source: Gmw.cn - Guangming Daily