Photo: BBA/Handout via Xinhua
The picture shows the five millionth vehicle of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd (BBA) in February 2023 in Tiexi County, Shenyang City, northeast China's Liaoning Province. In an increasingly interconnected world, the China-Germany partnership stands out as a model of cooperation. By building on their strengths and fostering a spirit of openness and cooperation, these two nations can play a key role in shaping a more prosperous and sustainable future for the global community.
BERLIN, April 13 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will soon make an official visit to China, his second since taking office. The upcoming visit is expected to inject new momentum into the positive trajectory of bilateral relations.
During Scholz's inaugural visit to China as German Chancellor in 2022, amidst the clamour for "separation", significant progress was made in strengthening mutual understanding and trust between the two nations. These diplomatic efforts have not only strengthened bilateral relations, but also promoted global peace and development in a period marked by uncertainty and fluctuations.
At that time, more than 100 German companies applied for a visit, of which ten were shortlisted. Once again, there is great enthusiasm and major German companies are applying to be part of the delegation.
The strong interest of the business sector underlines the cooperative nature of Sino-German ties.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Germany. Practical cooperation between the two countries has always been a "cornerstone" for bilateral relations and benefits the people of both countries.
Thanks to their strong economic interdependence, China and Germany, as the world's second largest economy and the EU's largest economy respectively, should continue the irreversible trend of closer and mutually beneficial cooperation in the era of globalisation, and jointly give impetus to the global economic recovery.
According to the German Economic Institute, direct investment from Germany to China will reach a record €11.9 billion (US$12.7 billion) in 2023, an increase of 4.3 % from the previous year.
A prime example of successful cooperation between China and Germany is the automotive industry. German car manufacturers see cooperation with ambitious Chinese electric vehicle (EV) companies as an opportunity rather than a threat.
During an interview with Xinhua last year, Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume said the cooperation with China supports Volkswagen's business worldwide and "makes the company even stronger."
German carmakers are aware that competition in the market can bring positive results for all involved. Driven by technological innovation and a well-established manufacturing and supply chain infrastructure, they see the success of Chinese EV companies as beneficial to the global new energy car ecosystem.
The rise of China's electric car industry is helping German automakers "become faster," Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of Germany's CAR Automotive Research Duisburg, told Xinhua in an earlier interview.
It is encouraging to see how German car manufacturers are avoiding the rhetoric of "overcapacity" that is disrupting the market for new energy technologies. Instead, they are prioritising innovation and progress and striving to provide consumers with high quality and affordable products as part of the global drive for energy transformation.
Li Chao, Xinhua writer
Xinhua/gnews.cz-RoZ_07