Chinese Premier Li Keqiang speaks at the closing ceremony of a forum on economic and technological cooperation in Berlin, Germany, July 9, 2018. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also attended the event. (Xinhua/Li Tao)
BERLIN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday said China and Germany need to further explore their potential to improve trade facilitation and expand service trade between the two countries.
Li, who is in Germany for a three-day official visit, made the remarks at the closing ceremony of a forum on economic and technological cooperation which drew around 400 representatives from both countries. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also attended the event.
The Chinese premier called on the two countries to increase two-way investment and offer a fair, transparent and predictable investment environment for each other's enterprises.
He said there are great possibilities for German companies to expand their exports of competitive goods, high-end equipment and high quality services to the Chinese market.
Noting that China-Germany cooperation has seen comprehensive, stable and healthy development, Li said the two countries need to actively promote innovation cooperation and further synergize their development strategies in innovation.
Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a successful visit to Germany, mapping out the future of the two countries' relations with German leaders, Li said.
China-Germany cooperation is a fine example of cooperation between major countries as well as the South and the North, Li said. Such a partnership has guided the China-Europe ties for a long time and injected vitality to the growths of both countries and the world at large, he added.
Li said industries like electric vehicle and intelligent manufacturing should be taken as a cooperation platform, calling on the two countries to step up cooperation in emerging industries including artificial intelligence, new-energy driven cars and autopilot.
Li also expressed China's willingness to cooperate with Germany in expanding third party markets and exploring opportunities in such fields as inter-connectivity, industrial construction, equipment manufacturing and public transportation prior in several regions like the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), the Latin America and Africa.
When it comes to trade and investment, the premier said without free and open trading and investment environment, the economic and technological cooperation between China and Germany will come to a standstill.
China and Germany reaffirmed the stance that the two economies will jointly safeguard free trade and firmly oppose unilateralism and protectionism, and defend the rule-based multilateral trading system, he said.
In addition, China will stay committed to continuously expanding opening up so as to better cope with unilateralism and protectionism, Li added.
Given the current circumstance of globalization, starting a trade dispute not only harms the benefits of both sides, but is detrimental to the interests of all parties involved in the global industrial chain, Li said, stressing that there wouldn't be any winner in a trade dispute.
The current good momentum of China's development is the result of the continual optimization of economic structure as well as the rising internal driving force of growth, he said, noting China will do it better to maintain a more stable and sustainable growth.
China is confident in and capable of handling any risks and challenges, Li said, adding that his country will diversify its market with fair, open and transparent competition.
Prior to the forum, Li and Merkel held a meeting and co-chaired the fifth round of China-Germany intergovernmental consultations, in which they agreed to continuously cement and advance political mutual trust and lay a solid foundation for the two countries' all-dimensional strategic partnership to promote the two countries' cooperation to a higher level.
Li arrived in Berlin on Sunday after wrapping up his trip to Bulgaria.
When addressing the forum, Merkel highlighted the fruitful achievements in the two countries' cooperation, saying that the high-level cooperative documents signed on Monday are expected to greatly boost bilateral ties.
Germany keeps an open mind to the fact that China's investment to Germany has entered into a new phase, Merkel said, adding that her country welcomes increasing investments from China.
She spoke highly of China's active measures in improving market environment and opening up the financial sector.
Citing the great potential and bright prospect of Germany-China cooperation, Merkel said she hoped the upcoming 20th European Union (EU)-China summit could bear fruitful results and push forward the negotiations of the China-EU investment agreement.
A trade war will strike all the countries and be harmful to their interests, Merkel said, adding that Germany is willing to work together with China to voice supports for free trade.
Related:
China, Germany agree to oppose protectionism
BERLIN, July 9 (Xinhua) -- China and Germany on Monday agreed to unequivocally oppose protectionism and safeguard free trade system based on multilateral rules to promote strong, sustainable and balanced global economic growth.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Angela Merkel co-chaired the fifth round of intergovernmental consultations and made the announcement in Berlin. Full story
