Six decades as a conduit of culture

Veteran diplomat relishes China's flourishing relationship with Germany

At the age of 80, Mei Zhaorong, former Chinese ambassador to Germany and former president of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, still keeps his finger on the pulse of China's economic and social development.

Over more than 60 years since an armistice was signed in the Korean War, Mei has witnessed changes in China, and in its increasingly significant role in international affairs, something that he says greatly inspires him.

"It is the unprecedented heights that China's influence has reached in world affairs that strikes me most," Mei said in his keynote speech at the third China's Influence Forum hosted by Global People Magazine in Beijing recently.

"Every country wants to maintain good relations with China to catch the express train of its rapid economic development."

China was once relatively passive in dealing with other countries, he says. It has now become more active, advancing compelling diplomatic initiatives in bilateral and multilateral relationships. Today China is also active in making international rules, he says.

"International public opinion now generally believes that all the world's major global problems require Chinese participation, and that is so even in Western countries, where more and more people recognize China's social and political system has its advantages, which they never used to recognize."

As one of New China's first generation of diplomats, Mei has extensive experience. The Shanghai native studied English at the Beijing Foreign Studies University and German language and literature at Leipzig University from 1953 to 1956. After completing his studies, he joined China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

From 1956 to 1963 and from 1970 to 1975 he worked at the Chinese Embassy in East Germany as the second secretary and news commissioner. He also worked as German interpreter to Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping and other top officials. In June 1988, the year before the beginning of the end of the Berlin Wall, he was appointed ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, a post he held for nine years.

Indeed much of Mei's diplomatic career was spent in Germany. He witnessed the development of relations between China and Germany and has made a huge contribution to strengthening ties over the years.

Not only was he on hand when the Berlin Wall collapsed but also took part in negotiations that led to the establishment of diplomatic relations with West Germany in 1972.

His experience in Germany and his knowledge of both countries has made him an ideal cultural conduit between the two. In 2004 he was honored for his significant role in building the China-Germany relationship when Germany awarded him the Federal Cross of Merit. The former ambassador remains a keen observer of China-EU ties and is someone the Chinese government often turns to for advice on the matter.

He says he is particularly pleased with the level of collaboration between China and Germany over the past year. There have been visits at the highest level, President Xi Jinping visiting Germany in March, and Chancellor Angela Merkel visiting China four months later. Two such visits in a single year is a rarity in Sino-German relations, he says.

"Germany is China's most important working partner in Europe, and Beijing's collaboration with Berlin is far broader and deeper than its relationship with any other European country."

Germany has always regarded economics and trade as the focal point in developing relations with China, he says.

"Xi's visit took the relationship to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership, and agreements the two countries signed have provided a map for their ties to grow over the coming five to 10 years."

China and Germany are similar economically in that both are manufacturing powers and major exporters, although the two are at different stages of development, he says, and they complement one another well. He sees their economic and trade ties as an example in the China-EU relationship.

"When you consider Xi's European trip last year, you can clearly see that European countries including Germany are now looking at China differently and realize it is more and more important to their growth."

However, despite China's spectacular economic success and growing influence, Mei says that some hold negative attitudes toward the country, and the China-EU relationship is not immune to such sentiments.

The relationship has flourished over the past few years, he says, and ties between Germany, France and Britain in particular are doing well, he says. But while these three are keen to do business with China, the negative way the country is often portrayed in the media in those countries does not reflect their very healthy trade ties.

"The China-EU relationship is growing rapidly, and some in the European Union have raised questions about what is going on. Some are keen to sow divisions between the two sides. It's nothing but jealousy.

"There are, of course, differences in ideology and between our political systems. If we want China-EU relations to continue to prosper, we need to learn from the past, avoiding things that may damage each other's core interests, respecting one another, seeking common ground, paying less attention to differences that may exist between us, and looking to work together for mutually beneficial outcomes."

Mei says that to eliminate ideological bias, he hopes Western media will report on China fully and fairly. More frequent people-to-people contacts from both sides are also needed to improve understanding.

"If we can do this, differences regarding ideology and political systems will disappear as an obstacle to a good relationship. Despite existing problems, I believe the future of China-European relations is bright."

Because of Germany's significant role in the EU, ever better relations between Beijing and Berlin will be reflected in China's relations with the EU, he says.

Over the next five years, in addition to further developing bilateral trade, Mei says, the two countries should focus on working together in the field of technology and in other areas, especially innovation.

"China's current economic reform emphasizes innovation, which is important for improving the quality of our products so as to improve the overall quality of the Chinese economy. Even though Germany is more advanced economically than China, it still needs more innovation. This is the direction we need to go in as we continue to work together."

liulu@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 01/16/2015 page29)