Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Angela Merkel co-chaired the sixth round of intergovernmental consultation between China and Germany via video link on April 28.

In his opening speech, the Premier noted intergovernmental consultations have played a role as an engine for coordinating and promoting practical cooperation between China and Germany.

This year’s consultation was held via video link because of the novel coronavirus epidemic, with 25 ministers from both sides attending the meeting, the highest profile in years. It fully manifested the importance attached to China-Germany relations and practical cooperation between the two sides, the Premier noted.

The pandemic calls on the international community to be united, as only solidarity and cooperation can help human beings fight against the virus and promote world economic recovery and growth, Premier Li said.

Looking back on the past two years since the last consultation, he noted bilateral cooperation between China and Germany has made new progress and China is expanding opening-up and implementing related measures, which benefits enterprises from different countries, including Germany.

Despite the pandemic, bilateral trade between China and Germany is still on the rise, showing China-Germany cooperation is of high level and with great potential, the Premier said. He added that bilateral cooperation brings direct benefits to the two peoples, while stabilizing world industrial and supply chains.

At present, the international situations are undergoing profound and complex changes; the pandemic is far from over, and protectionism persists. China and Germany, which are among the world’s major economies and influential countries that both support multilateralism and free trade, should set an example for open, mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, the Premier suggested.

Premier Li said it is an objective fact that China and Germany may hold different views over certain issues. Yet as long as both sides can respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, communicate on an equal footing without interference of domestic affairs, dispel misgivings, narrow differences and concentrate on cooperation, favorable conditions for further dialogue and cooperation will be created.

Given that next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Germany, the Premier extended his hope that both sides can look into the future in the next 50 years by treating each other with sincerity, seeking win-win cooperation, and avoiding unnecessary disturbances, to ensure a long-lasting healthy and stable development of the mutual relationship. It will benefit both the two countries and the whole world, he added.

Merkel said in her opening remarks that mutual cooperation in diplomacy, economy and trade, agriculture, society, food safety, sustainable development and tackling climate change has reached a new scale and depth under the China-Germany governmental negotiation mechanism, which, she hopes, could further continue.

She said both countries have played important roles in the joint combat against the COVID-19 epidemic by the international community, and that Germany is willing to work with China in boosting vaccine production and mutual recognition cooperation.

The EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment is transparent and equal to both, which will further guarantee mutual economic and trade cooperation, Merkel said. As all-around strategic partners, Germany is ready to maintain dialogue and exchanges with China for further mutual understanding.