Institute fosters exchanges and dialogue between the two countries

Peter Anders, the director of the nonprofit Goethe-Institut China, said the cultural difference between China and Germany lies in how they perceive the concept "more".

"Chinese people are driven by a strong will to make the world better through a concept of 'more of ...' while we (German people) are skeptical about an ongoing progress," wrote Anders in an e-mail to China Daily during a business trip in Europe.

"Innovation for Germans means a better life that is not just 'more of ...' but includes health, common sense and tolerance."