Strategic partnership, shared responsibilities

Germany and China should join hands to push their partnership of shared responsibility to new heights.

Michael Schaefer, the new German Ambassador to China, praised the bilateral relationship between the two countries, adding: "The present relationship between the two countries goes far beyond economic exchange. We have enormous opportunities in strategic partnership in a wide range of areas."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited China last year not long after taking office, Premier Wen Jiabao visited Germany in August 2006, and President Hu Jintao went to Germany in June for the G8 Outreach Summit are all signs of close bilateral cooperation.

"The leadership on both sides place great importance on our mutual cooperation," said Schaefer, who worked as Political Director in the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the last five years and has taken part in many foreign affairs negotiations with China.

"The Chinese and German civil society and business circles are showing stronger interest in each other," he said. Schaefer cited the successful third Sino-German Strategic Dialogue Forum from July 9 to 11 in Berlin, aiming to expand cooperation between the nations.

Ambassador Schaefer hopes the two nations can make joint efforts to meet future challenges and tap the enormous opportunities ahead.

"I hope to contribute my bit to try to help Germany and China address global issues together, such as energy security and environmental protection or foreign policy and security challenges," he said.

In the framework of the Heiligendamm process, kicked off at the G8 summit meeting in June 2007, the two nations will cooperate to address climate change and work together to reach sustainable solutions, bilaterally as well as multilaterally.

China and Germany should work together to push forward the important Post-Kyoto framework, and to help build the foundations for worldwide sustainable development, the ambassador noted.

The UN's Post-Kyoto framework should be put on track at a conference in Bali in December 2007, and the two nations as important participants from Europe and Asia can significantly impact the framework, resulting in a sustainable, long-term protection of the environment.

"Apart from this, we hope to continue to make key areas such as energy security, including issues like water management, top priorities," he said.

The two nations' cooperation on global security, such as the North Korea and Iran nuclear issues as well as the situation in Sudan and other African security issues, are also important areas of concern.

"Both nations are active players and stakeholders in global security. Germany is supporting China to play an active role in finding lasting solutions to such challenges," he said.

"We are fully aware of China's philosophy of a harmonious society and world, and we need to find a balance between interests and responsibility," he said. "We are committed to finding win-win situations."

High on German Chancellor Angela Merkel's agenda on her visit to China is the launch of the three-year cultural campaign, "Germany and China - Moving ahead together".

A concert will be held in Zhongshan Music Hall tonight to kick off the event and celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Sino-German diplomatic relationship.

Afterwards, some of China's fast-growing second-tier cities, such as Nanjing, Guangzhou and Chengdu, will be targeted in the several phases of the program until the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Many German and Chinese companies are actively sponsoring the event, which is under the patronage of Chinese President Hu Jintao and German Federal President Horst Koehler.

"'Moving ahead together' is not just a slogan - it represents our common philosophy: 'we are long-term partners'," Schaefer said.

"We are two nations with old civilizations and we boast enormous wealth of historical and cultural richness, dynamism in terms of economic development and shared political responsibilities," he said. "So it is a mental and intellectual challenge, going beyond the mere organization of cultural or economic events."

The ambassador also hopes that more youth exchanges, including language study and travel between the two nations, will be held in a bid to boost mutual cultural understanding.

He attaches great importance to this area. Schaefer's first trip to a foreign country was as a 16-year-old, which helped him develop a life-long connection to the country.

He is very delighted to see that many Chinese students are enthusiastic about studying German; Chinese students are the biggest group of foreign students in Germany.

He said the Goethe Institute in Beijing has done marvellous work promoting German culture in China. A second institute is expected to be set up in Shanghai under the bilateral cultural agreement. "It does not simply offer events but is a platform for understanding," he said.

Apart from eight Confucius Institutes in Germany, a Chinese cultural center will be built in Berlin in the near future, according to the ambassador.

In another development, Germany embraces more Chinese investors to explore business opportunities in Germany as well as Europe.

Germany is located in the heart of Europe with the most neighbors and borders, including Western and Eastern Europe.

"It is a country that could offer a stable investment environment, state-of-the-art technology, modern infrastructure and an easy link to Eastern and Western Europe. We have a unique 'bridge' function for investors abroad," he said.

Talking about policies for enthusiastic Chinese investors, the ambassador said: "We are working hard to create an environment for Chinese and Asian investors, in a spirit of mutual partnership."

Germany is a prime investment location in Europe. There are many reasons for this: Germany is the biggest European market with high purchasing power, proximity to customers, a highly qualified workforce and an excellent infrastructure. Germany is a hi-tech nation and serves as a bridge to the emerging economies of Central and Eastern Europe.

The German government is convinced that creating economic, legal and general political conditions conducive to innovation, also in the field of IPR, is the best approach with a view to achieving long-lasting, stable and sustainable growth of the economy as well as civil-society development.

The ambassador added: "Trust and confidence are the key to bilateral business."

(China Daily 08/25/2007 page1)