Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry
China and Germany have agreed that the basis of bilateral relations is to complement each other’s advantages and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas after the two co-chaired the 5th round of China-Germany strategic dialogue on diplomacy and security, Wang said the two sides have reached a series of important consensuses.
First, the two countries have agreed that their shared interests go far beyond their differences, Wang said.
As long as China and Germany show mutual respect for each other, accommodate each other’s core interests and concerns, and keep consolidating political mutual trust, their bilateral relations will achieve long-term, stable and sound development, while the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership will reach a new level, he said.
Second, the two countries will keep turning competition into open and win-win cooperation and always work together in a way in which the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts, he said.
China will continue to expand opening-up, and hopes that Germany will treat Chinese enterprises in a fair and just manner, Wang said, adding that China appreciates Germany keeping an independent stand on the 5G issue.
He added that the two sides will carry out more cooperation in third-party markets within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Third, the two countries have agreed to play a leading role in China-EU relations, Wang said.
Noting that this year features multiple important items on the political agenda between China and the European Union (EU), Wang said that China is willing to work with Germany to speed up the negotiation on the China-EU investment agreement, and develop a China-EU cooperation plan for the next five years, especially to reach more agreements and send out positive signals to the world on upholding multilateralism and improving global governance.
Fourth, as two major countries with significant influence, China and Germany have agreed to strengthen international cooperation in regional and global affairs, and contribute to promoting world peace and development, Wang said.
China stands ready to support Germany in playing an active role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, and is willing to strengthen coordination with Germany within the framework of multilateral mechanisms including the G20, uphold the UN-centered international multilateralism, and safeguard the free trade system based on the World Trade Organization, he said.
Both sides will also make joint commitment to the political settlement of the Libya crisis, Iran nuclear issue and other hot issues, he added.
Source: Global Times
