Strengthening ties in challenging times
China, Germany to embrace new opportunities for cooperation in post-pandemic era
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Germany have maintained high-level communication, highlighting the close ties between the two countries and their shared desire to strengthen cooperation and overcome the challenges in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
The governments, enterprises and social organizations of both countries donated anti-pandemic materials to help each other, and medical and health experts on both sides have held many video seminars and exchanges. The two countries have also strengthened exchange and cooperation on the development of coronavirus vaccines, with Chinese and German enterprises jointly carrying out vaccine and drug research and development.
China has also facilitated Germany’s official purchasing of medical equipment. A large amount of pandemic prevention materials has been transported from China to Germany by air and through the ChinaEurope Railway Express service, dubbed “the steel camel”, continuously strengthening the “lifesaving channel” and “bond of destiny” between the two countries in the anti-pandemic fight.
There are many touching stories of the people of the two countries spontaneously supporting each other. Many sister cities between China and Germany have become closer, deepening the two peoples’ friendship.
China-Germany ties are bursting with fresh vitality and potential, ushering in new opportunities. As the pandemic situation in China stabilizes and positive signs of its economy picking up manifest, China-Germany pragmatic cooperation suggests that economic recovery is accelerating in the two countries.
Both countries have taken the lead in opening a green channel for personnel exchanges between China and Europe, and thousands of employees from German enterprises have successfully returned to China.
During the third China International Import Expo in November, nearly 200 German enterprises participated in the event despite the challenges created by the pandemic.
Germany is China’s largest trading partner in the European Union, and China has been Germany’s largest trading partner for the past four years.
Amid a sharp decline in global trade, China remained Germany’s largest trading partner in the first three quarters of this year, with bilateral trade volume at $135.7 billion — almost the same as that during the same period last year.
China’s huge market is an increasingly important driving force for Germany’s economy in stepping out of the pandemic’s dark shadow.
The recently concluded Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee made comprehensive proposals for China’s development for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, outlining long-range objectives through 2035. As China enters a new stage of development, it will firmly implement the new development concept and actively build a new development pattern with domestic circulation as the mainstay while domestic and international circulations complement each other.
China has officially signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, once again delivering a clear, positive signal of its commitment to free trade and economic globalization.
Presently, China and the European Union are speeding up the negotiation process to realize an investment agreement as scheduled to promote the liberalization and facilitation of their trade and investment.
China will unswervingly expand its opening-up to the outside world, enhance interaction between domestic and international economy, and drive world recovery with its own.
China is willing to share the opportunities of a huge market, free trade, common development, and cooperation in innovation during China’s new round of opening-up with other countries, including Germany.
Both countries’ enterprises have competed to seize opportunities. China’s new energy vehicle battery supplier SVOLT Energy Technology has actively invested in Germany. Other Chinese enterprises including Xiaomi, an innovation-driven technology company, have also expanded their presence in Germany. German auto giants like Volkswagen and BMW have accelerated their localization strategies in China’s new energy sector.
With new business forms and models emerging and new development potential continuously released, China-Germany and ChinaEU cooperation are ascendant in various fields.
Addressing climate change, one of the cooperation fields with the most potential between China and Germany and between China and the EU, is seeing new opportunities and strong momentum.
In this year’s United Nations General Assembly, President Xi Jinping announced that China will enhance the country’s independent contribution, pledging the country to have CO2 emissions peak by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. This solemn commitment embodies
China’s great responsibility toward environmental protection.
Germany and Europe are pioneers of global environmental protection and climate change initiatives. They boast innovations and rich experience in energy transformation, lowcarbon technology, energy conservation and emissions reduction.
China and the EU have decided to establish high-level dialogues on the environment and climate, as well as the digital field, to develop partnerships in the low-carbon and digital sectors.
Next year, China will hold the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15) in Kunming, Southwest China’s Yunnan province. It is believed that the two countries will plan for bilateral cooperation in various fields ahead of the meeting.
Amid current changes in the international situation, China-EU relations are getting more global and strategic. Both sides should strive to enhance mutual trust and cooperation, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, safeguard multilateralism and improve global governance.
China is willing to work with Germany and Europe to inject new impetus and create new opportunities for the development of ChinaGermany and China-EU relations in the new era.