Ambassador optimistic about Sino-German ties

The visit of Federal President Horst Kehler of Germany to China in mid-May will be a good opportunity for both countries to further improve their relationship, said Michael Schaefer, German ambassador to China.

"Meetings (with Chinese leaders) will focus on the global economic situation after the crisis of 2009 as well as on its consequences for the international system, including International Financial Institutions."

They will address the main challenges both our countries are facing in the years to come, such as energy security, climate change, poverty, and non-proliferation, he said.

From the economic perspective, China and Germany are the most important partners for each other in Asia and in Europe, said the Ambassador.

Trade exchanges between the two countries have surpassed US$100 billion for a second consecutive year.

Germany has been the top European country with regards to transfering technology to China, he added that especially in areas of new technologies, such as environmental technologies, future cooperation is bright.

"Both sides have a mutual interest in this exchange," he said, "It represents a win-win-situation. Continuing on this very successful avenue, both countries must adhere to their strict commitment to fight protectionism in any form."

Transparent markets, equal access of local and foreign companies, as well as strict observation of international standards in the protection of intellectual property are key issues for both sides, he said.

Regular high-level meetings between the Chinese and German leadership are an important element of our partnership, he said.

German and Chinese leaders also make use of multilateral meetings, such as the Washington Summit on Nuclear Security, to deepen their ongoing dialogue on important global or regional issues.

China and Germany have also built a network of consultations in various areas of mutual interest, he said.

"At the moment, we have more than 20 regular dialogue processes. The dialogues pursue the objective of exchanging our experience in areas relevant to the development of our societies and to identify areas of cooperation in these fields," he said.

For example, the Rule of Law Dialogue, which brought together almost 100 eminent Chinese and German legal experts, lawyers and judges in Shenzhen last year, focused on the issue of social security as an important element of society.

The human rights dialogue addresses national and multilateral efforts by both governments in implementing fundamental human rights.

A new and very important area of dialogue and cooperation is the exchange on issues of climate change as both Beijing and Berlin are convinced that the fight against climate change is one of the key challenges of our time, he said.

"We have decided to work together closely in taking the necessary steps in the context of our national agendas, and to cooperate closely in the preparation for the Mexico Summit on Climate Change which will take place at Cancun in December this year," he said.

We welcome that China has become a global player not only in economic terms, but also accepting a growing engagement in international foreign and security issues. Beijing is playing an increasingly active role in regional organizations like Shanghai Cooperation Organization or Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, at the global level in the context of G20 or as a leading power within the BRIC countries, he said.

With regards to current bilateral economic ties, the Ambassador said, "On a scale from one to ten, I would say we are at 8. As I have already indicated, our bilateral trade volume has reached an unprecedented high level of well over US$100 billion, a target set by our Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in 2008."

German investment to China in 2009 totaled US$1.2 billion, an increase of 36 percent compared to that of the previous year. Despite the global economic crisis, economic relations between the two countries have continued to develop dynamically and have expanded even during the difficult period of declining export markets. But, there are still things to improve.

"First of all, I believe that there is ample space for an even better performance in both directions, in trade as well as in investments," he said. "We are looking forward to a more balanced exchange not only of goods, but also of services and investments."

To date, Germany's investment in China has amounted to almost US$20 billion, whereas Chinese investments in Germany are still somewhere in the hundred millions.

(China Daily 05/19/2010 page16)