Shared commitment to uphold multilateralism

As President Xi Jinping said on a visit to Germany last year, the development of China-Germany ties is "a story of success". And Angela Merkel's ongoing visit to China, her 11th as the German chancellor, once again highlighted that; showing that her country's relations with China stand out among those of Western countries.

While meeting Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing on Thursday, she suggested it was because the two sides have established confidence in their relations so that difficult questions can be raised.

And there have been tough questions raised over the years, on both sides. However, high-level exchange visits and dialogue mechanisms covering important areas in bilateral ties, including finance, security, people-to-people exchanges and diplomacy, have enabled the two sides to safely navigate the potential pitfalls and expand their common ground.