Pandas and pacts cement a solid friendship

Areas ranging from intelligent manufacturing and industrial internet to digitization and panda research were the highlights of cooperative pacts signed during President Xi Jinping's state visit to Germany.

After the July 4 talks between Xi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, they witnessed the signing of a series of bilateral cooperation agreements.

During their talks, the two leaders agreed to lift relations between the second-and fourth-largest economies in the world to a higher level, deepen political mutual trust and step up practical cooperation.

They also agreed to boost cultural and people-to-people exchanges and promote closer coordination on multilateral occasions.

The visit was organized because this year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Xi hailed the development of the China-Germany relationship as a "success story" that has delivered real benefits to the two peoples.

China is ready to join Germany in consolidating mutual trust, building consensus and promoting bilateral cooperation and connectivity, he said.

The goal is to ensure constant development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, he said.

Xi arrived in Berlin on the afternoon of July 4 for the state visit, and he was also due to attend the G20 Summit in the German port city of Hamburg from July 7 to 8.

Merkel said that she had read Xi's article published in Die Welt, a German national daily newspaper, on July 4.

The German government will resolutely stick to the "One China" principle, and is willing to work with China to step up cooperation one the economy, trade and connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative, she said.

Mei Zhaorong, former Chinese ambassador to Germany, notes that there has been huge development of the bilateral relationship in the past 45 years, as both countries have seen rapidly growing bilateral trade and a wide spectrum of cooperative mechanisms.

"Recently, Germany has attached increased importance to the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China," he says.

Feng Zhongping, vice-president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, says Germany plays a leading role within the Europe, and the developing China-Germany relationship will be helpful in promoting China's ties with the European Union.

Cultural events involving pandas and soccer were other highlights of Xi's visit.

On July 5, Xi and Merkel attended the official opening ceremony of the Panda Garden at Zoo Berlin.

Merkel greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, and they walked to the Panda Garden together along a pathway decorated with red lanterns.

At the opening ceremony, Xi said he was delighted to see Meng Meng and Jiao Qing, two pandas from southwestern China's Sichuan province, make their debut before the German public and have a new and pretty home in Berlin.

"It is of great significance to restart China-Germany giant panda protection and research cooperation upon the 45th anniversary of the two countries' diplomatic ties," he said.

Xi expressed the hope that Meng Meng and Jiao Qing will serve as new ambassadors, promoting friendship between the two peoples, and expressed gratitude to the Chinese and German experts and staff for their hard work.

Merkel said the German people have made great efforts to provide a comfortable home for the long-awaited pandas.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 07/07/2017 page8)